CLADmag issue 3 2017

2017 ISSUE 3

mag FOR

LEISURE

ARCHITECTS,

Thom Mayne Defends his controversial Swiss skyscraper

Joshua Prince-Ramus

Designing a performing arts centre for Ground Zero

DESIGNERS,

CLADGLOBAL.COM @CLADGLOBAL

I NVE S TO RS

&

DE VELO PERS

Patricia Urquiola On the inspiration behind Como’s Hotel Il Sereno MONTREAL The creative minds behind the city’s transformation

DAVID CHIPPERFIELD

PHOTO: ALEX DE BRABANT

On where city planners are going wrong

ccreators

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OF

WELLBEING

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EDITOR’S LETTER

Early adopters can expect to ride a wave of growth

Hospitality, health and design Architecture and design students considering their career options now have the opportunity to develop expertise in rapidly emerging growth markets which bring together wellbeing, hospitality and health to create next generation buildings

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CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

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REGEN VILLAGE NETHERLANDS, OPENING 2018 ©EFFEKT ARCHITECTS

C

ornell University has announced the launch of a new degree module in hospitality, health and design.

The course will be delivered by the Cornell Institute for Health Futures, an academic centre within the New York-based university.

The move comes as a number of new sectors are emerging in the area of design and wellbeing, creating a need for graduates to have a robust grounding in these converging disciplines.

These sectors are wellness tourism, wellness communities and next-generation hospitals, health clinics and hospices.

The Global Wellness Institute (GWI) identified wellness tourism as a US$563bn market in 2016 and its research shows revenues grew from $494.1bn in 2013 to $563.2bn in 2015 – an increase of 14 per cent and a growth rate more than twice that of overall tourism expenditure at 6 per cent.

This activity is driving interest from the hotel and resort Health and wellbeing design is an emerging specialism sector and spawning a new generation of Hospitals and accommodation options. On page 64 of this developments for the wider market. The addiissue, we report on Hilton Hotels’ recently tion of wellbeing to residential real estate is hospices are launched bedroom concept ‘Five Feet to adding up to 25 per cent to its value. collaborating with Fitness’ which is bringing in-room wellbeHospitals and hospices are beginning to colthe wellbeing sector laborate with the wellbeing sector to improve ing to hotels across the US. The company has to improve outcomes the experience for patients, with the creation plans to roll the concept out worldwide.

Hilton is not the first to add in-room wellof more holistic environments which focus on and end of life care being – Kimpton has been doing it since 2001, speeding up the healing process, improving IHG’s Even brand is gaining ground and Westin has just done outcomes and creating more compassionate end of life care. a deal with bike brand Peloton to launch in-room fitness, for With all this activity creating new markets and opportunities, example, but Hilton’s scale and reach show the idea is gaining architects and designers who are early adopters in this area traction and being taken increasingly seriously by investors. of expertise can expect to ride a wave of growth and students Wellness communities are also a focus for investment, who train and qualify in these disciplines will be sought after. with significant developments taking place globally in terms of both gated communities and more accessible, affordable Liz Terry, editor, CLAD @elizterry

CONTENTS

mag

2017 ISSUE 3

Yabu and Pushelberg

84

54 REX founder Joshua Prince-Ramus

44

David Chipperfield on controversy and cities

5 Editor's letter

44 David Chipperfield

Liz Terry discusses the emerging convergance of hospitality, health and design

The UK should take a leaf out of Germany’s book when it comes to designing and planning cities, argues the Neues Museum architect

12 CLAD people Ian Schrager’s ‘people’s hotel’, Amanda Levete, Diébédo Francis Kéré, David Beckham and the curators of the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale

54 Joshua Prince-Ramus

24 CLAD news

64 Five Feet to Fitness

Architecture and design news from around the world

The thinking behind Hilton’s new in-room fitness concept

40 Seoul Skygarden MVRDV’s new linear park

6 CLADGLOBAL.COM

Rem Koolhaas’ protege on the challenges of designing a truly flexible arts centre for Ground Zero

12 David Beckham’s Miami stadium deal unveiled

66 Into the wild Wales’s legend-inspired cabins

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

72

112 Thom Mayne

Patricia Urquiola on Hotel Il Sereno

102

120

The leisure projects shaping Montreal

The architects

72 Beauty sleep

102 Getting creative

Spanish architect Patricia Urquiola on why creating the first new hotel on Lake Como for years was a true labour of love

The amazing projects transforming Canada’s second city

Renzo Piano’s Santander art museum

84 Yabu Pushelberg

120 Beautiful music

The Canadian designers on working (and arguing) with Ian Schrager

It’s been a great year for German concert halls, with new venues from Frank Gehry, Herzog & de Meuron, David Chipperfield and more

94 Dan Pearson It’s a shame the Garden Bridge became as political as it did, says the project’s landscape designer

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

new concert halls

112 Thom Mayne On why he’s building a skyscraper next to Switzerland’s most famous thermal baths

82 Centro Botín

behind Germany’s

127 CLADkit A round up of the latest products

7

The CLADmag team

Community of Leisure Architects & Designers About CLAD The Community of Leisure Architects & Designers unites people who contribute to the success of leisure and the built environment, to enable them to do business.

CLADglobal, the organisation behind CLAD, is a media business creating magazines, books, websites and digital feeds to enable CLAD professionals to share news, opinions and best practice. Find out more about the CLAD portfolio at CLADglobal.com

EDITOR

DEPUTY EDITOR

M A N AG I N G E D I T O R

Liz Terry

Kim Megson

Magali Robathan

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Leisure – a definition

Matthew Campelli

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CLAD’s definition of leisure includes all aspects of out-of-home activity: arts & culture, museums & heritage, hotels & hospitality, bars & restaurants, sport & recreation, spa & wellness, health & fitness, attractions, theme parks & entertainment, greenspace, regeneration and retail.

It’s the biggest area of consumer expenditure in the developed world and the biggest driver of growth in the developing world.

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CLADmag is published four times a year by The Leisure Media Co Ltd, Portmill House, Portmill Lane, Hitchin, Herts SG5 1DJ, UK. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher The Leisure Media Co Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright holder, Cybertrek Ltd 2017. Printed by The Manson Group Limited. Distributed by Total Mail Ltd globally and Royal Mail Group Ltd and Whistl Ltd in the UK. ©Cybertrek Ltd 2017 ISSN print edition 2058-3338, online edition 2058-3346. To subscribe to CLADmag log on to www.leisuresubs.com or email: subs@leisuremedia. com or call +44 1462 471930. Annual subscription rate is £100.

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CLADmag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLADmag

2017 ISSUE 3

mag FOR

LEISURE

ARCHITECTS,

Thom Mayne

CLADmag is the glossy

Defends his controversial Swiss skyscraper

magazine which talks to the

Joshua Prince-Ramus

people making things happen in

Designing a performing arts centre for Ground Zero

DESIGNERS,

CLADGLOBAL.COM @CLADGLOBAL

I NVE S TO RS

&

DE VELO PERS

Patricia Urquiola On the inspiration behind Como’s Hotel Il Sereno MONTREAL The creative minds behind the city’s transformation

CLADbook The annual CLADbook celebrates the best of CLAD. Contents include the CLAD Foresight™ trends report, Development

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10 CLADGLOBAL.COM

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

GWS2017Ad3_62617_CLAD.indd 1

6/26/2017 3:32:52 PM

CLAD People

PROJECT

Public, New York

Everyone deserves a one-of-a-kind experience that lifts their spirits and makes their heart beat faster Ian Schrager Founder Ian Schrager Company

I

an Schrager’s latest hotel

everything you need and want, and

has opened in New York’s

nothing extraneous.” The hotel’s

Bowery neighbourhood, in a

public spaces have been created

building designed by Swiss

to “connect work, leisure, fun

architects Herzog & de Meuron.

According to the pioneering

and culture” for those who visit.

Public also has private

hotelier, the 367-room Public will

apartments with interiors

be “the people’s hotel,” providing

designed by John Pawson.

unique memories for guests looking for more than just a place to sleep.

“Luxury is no longer about things

The hotel’s amenities include French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Public Kitchen;

or about how much something

a cafe; three bars; landscaped

costs,” said Schrager. “It’s not a

gardens; multiple communal

business classification, a price

workspaces; private event rooms,

point or based on scarcity. Luxury

and a number of observation points

is now about experiences and

with 360-degree views of New York.

how something makes you feel.”

He has described the interiors, by the Ian Schrager Company, as “personal, provocative and flamboyant”, while paradoxically simple and modest; a style designed to resonate with all generations and make them feel as though they’re “at home, but better.”

“It’s not shabby chic, retro, IMAGE: CHAD BATKA

industrial, reclaimed or the

ambition is ‘to upset the status quo’

12 CLADGLOBAL.COM

Public Arts – a “progressive, avant-garde multimedia performance space” – will host film screenings, theatrical and dance productions, art exhibitions, lectures, readings, workshops and comedy nights.

A statement announcing the opening of Public read: “There’s not

ubiquitous Brooklyn look,”

been a new idea in the lifestyle hotel

continued Schrager.

space since Ian Schrager’s Morgans,

“It’s simplicity as the ultimate

The hotelier said his

Arts programme

Royalton and Paramount hotels

sophistication,” he added.

over 25 years ago. Every hotel since

“There’s no pretence. It’s invisible

then has been derivative of those.”

design done with honesty,

Expanding on this, Schrager said:

conviction, love and passion.”

“I’m always looking for a new and

The rooms are designed “like

better way of doing things to upset

cabins in a yacht, where you have

the status quo and shake things up.”

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

The Ian Schrager Company designed the “provocative and flamboyant” interiors

Ian Schrager has described the design concept of Public as ‘simplicity as the ultimate sophistication’

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLAD PEOPLE

PROJECT

The Serpentine Pavilion, London

Well designed public spaces are the foundation of a healthy society Diébédo Francis Kéré Principal Kéré Architecture

T

his year’s Serpentine Pavilion, designed

by Diébédo Francis Kéré, has been unveiled in London’s Hyde Park.

Speaking to CLAD, the architect

said the high-profile commission had given him an “exciting opportunity to explore new ideas, new ways of shaping space, new materials and new ways of using materials.”

His pavilion, designed “to bring a sense of light and life” to the park, was inspired by the tree that serves as a central meeting point for life in his hometown of Gando, Burkina Faso.

To mimic the tree’s canopy, Kéré visualised

IMAGE: JAN OUWERKERK.

an expansive timber roof supported by a central latticed steel framework, which allows air to circulate freely while offering shelter against London rain and summer heat.

Kéré told CLAD that

An oculus funnels rainwater collected on

the value of great

the roof to create a waterfall effect into an

public spaces ‘cannot

open courtyard below, which is set above

be measured by money’

a hidden underground storage tank.

There are four separate entry points into the pavilion, and the structure’s bright indigo walls – formed of inverted wooden triangles – are angled so as to let daylight flood in.

“From the very start, it was always my idea to focus on the figure of the tree in the landscape, and design something around community gathering,” Kéré said. “We really pushed that concept as much as we could.”

The architect, who leads the Berlin-based practice Kéré Architecture, was chosen in part for his commitment to socially engaged and ecological design, and this is reflected in the programme of events taking place in the pavilion, including seminars exploring IMAGE: IWAN BAAN

questions of community and rights to the city.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

IMAGE: IWAN BAAN

Kéré’s design is inspired by a tree in his hometown of Gando, Burkina Faso

IMAGE: VICTORIA JONES/PA IMAGES

“Well designed public spaces, where we can all meet and come together, are the foundation of a healthy society,” he said. “The value [such spaces] give to a community cannot be measured by money, which is why it’s very important to think how we can create more.

“It’s amazing to see the diversity of people living here in London. It’s amazing if you can have structures that bring them all together.”

Peel described the pavilion as “a space of conversation, collaboration and exchange.”

Technical consultant David Glover, fabrication

IMAGE: KATE BERRY

In a joint statement, Serpentine artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist and CEO Yana

firm Stage One and engineers AECOM collaborated with the Kéré team on the project, which remains open until 8 October 2017.

The Serpentine Pavilion programme, which began in 2000 with a structure created by the late Zaha Hadid, sees an architect who has never built in the UK create a temporary summer structure in the park’s Kensington Gardens. Herzog & de Meuron, Jean Nouvel, Sou Fujimoto, SANAA and Bjarke Ingels Group are among the international architects to

We share Kéré’s belief that architecture, at its best, can enhance our collective creativity and push people to take the future into their own hands Serpentine artistic director Hans Ulrich Obrist and CEO Yana Peel

have previously taken part.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLADGLOBAL.COM 15

CLAD PEOPLE PROJECT

Miami Beckham United stadium, Miami

Now’s the time for MLS to move forward in helping us deliver the soccer club that Miami has been waiting for David Beckham Founder Miami Beckham United

D

avid Beckham’s plans to launch

“By purchasing the last piece of

a glamorous new Major League

land needed for our privately-funded

Soccer (MLS) franchise in Miami

stadium, MBU is achieving another major

have taken a major step forward,

milestone on the way to MLS formally

with the county’s board of commissioners agreeing to sell a 2.8 acre plot of land he needs to build a stadium.

Miami Beckham United (MBU),

“We have assembled a world-class team of partners, presented a vision for building the premier soccer club in the Americas,

the consortium representing the

and assembled the land needed to build

footballing icon, has paid over US$9m

our stadium. Now is the time for MLS to

(€7.9m, £7m) for the land in Miami’s

move forward in helping us deliver the

Overtown neighbourhood and said

soccer club Miami has been waiting for.

it is “looking forward to working with

“Miami is the eighth largest metro area

the Miami community to bring our

in the US, the country’s number one

vision for the neighbourhood to life.”

soccer market, and a critical gateway

The group – which includes US sports

to Latin America and Europe. MLS

executive Tim Leiweke, Bolivian American

will only reach its full potential once

telecoms entrepreneur Marcelo Claure,

it fields a team here. Our loyal fans in

former Spice Girls manager Simon Fuller

Miami and around the world have been

and LA Dodgers co-owner Todd Boehly

waiting for this moment for years.”

– already owned a neighbouring six-acre

According to local news reports, the

plot, and needed the additional land to

group has pledged to spend around

build its planned 25,000-capacity stadium,

$175m (€155m, £137m) building the

designed by sports architects Populous.

stadium and to create 50 full-time jobs

Beckham now has a limited time period in which to finalise a deal with MLS

in Overtown as part of the land deal.

Miami-Dade County mayor Carlos

approving the franchise’s stadium site,

Gimenez said: “I firmly believe that the sale

purchased the

ownership team and financing model. Then

of this property, as well as the subsequent

land he needs

he plans to attract some of the world’s

soccer stadium, will leave a lasting positive

for a stadium

best players to join the team in Miami.

impact on the community,” adding that

Beckham has

16 CLADGLOBAL.COM

awarding Miami a franchise,” said MBU.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

Populous have designed a proposed 25,000 capacity stadium for MBU

Beckham is determined to bring MLS soccer to the city of Miami

the deal means county taxpayers will be

the elements above the seats. Spectators

“properly compensated” for the land.

will be encouraged to arrive by boat,

Populous’ vision for the stadium is

DAVID BECKHAM PHOTOS: PA IMAGES

lighter and airier than previous iterations proposed by other firms, with Leiweke

bus or on foot to reduce traffic, as there will be limited parking space for cars.

According to Leiweke, if approved the

telling a public meeting in Overtown in

stadium will not open until 2021, but

May that MBU has listened to concerns

the team could still play in a temporary

raised by residents that a “hulking

venue while construction is underway.

stadium would choke the area”.

MLS gave Beckham the option to form

The open-roofed structure features a

a new team for a discounted franchise

thin canopy, with parts of the field visible

fee as part of the deal that brought him

from above, and walls that are open to

to LA Galaxy as a player in 2007.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

Beckham signed for MLS franchise LA Galaxy a decade ago

CLADGLOBAL.COM 17

CLAD PEOPLE

PROJECT

Freespace describes a generosity of spirit and a sense of humanity at the core of architecture’s agenda

2018 Venice Architecture Biennale

Yvonne Farrell and Shelley McNamara Curators 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale

T

he creation of vibrant and meaningful public spaces will be the focus of the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, curators Yvonne Farrell

and Shelley McNamara have revealed.

The duo announced that the 16th International Architecture Exhibition is to be themed ‘Freespace’ and will “celebrate architecture’s proven and enduring contribution to humanity.”

Explaining the concept, they said: “We’re interested in going beyond the IMAGE: ANDREA AVEZZU, COURTESY OF LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA

visual, emphasising the role of architecture in the choreography of daily life.

“We believe that everyone has the right to benefit from architecture. The role of architecture is to give shelter to our bodies and to lift our spirits. A beautiful wall forming a street edge gives pleasure to the passer-by, even if they

will be built within and around the city’s Arsenale

18 CLADGLOBAL.COM

IMAGE: GIULIO SQUILLACCIOTTI, COURTESY LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA

Pavilions exploring the theme

never go inside. So too does a glimpse into a

thoughtfulness in architecture throughout the

courtyard through an archway; or a place to

world will be celebrated [at the Biennale].

lean against in the shade or a recess which

We believe these qualities sustain the

offers protection from the wind and rain.

“We see the earth as client. This brings with it long-lasting responsibilities. Architecture is the play of light, sun, shade, moon,

fundamental capacity of architecture to nurture and support meaningful contact between people and place.

“We focus our attention on these qualities

air, wind, gravity in ways that reveal the

because we consider that intrinsic to them

mysteries of the world. All of these resources

are optimism and continuity. Architecture

are free and examples of generosity and

that embodies these qualities and does

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

SHUTTERSOCK/LUIGI FARDELLA

The Venice festival is one of the most important in the architectural calendar

The absence of architecture makes the world poorer and diminishes the level of public welfare Paolo Baratta, president of the Biennale

so with generosity and a desire for

are a form of public wealth that needs to be

exchange is what we call Freespace.”

constantly protected, renovated and created.”

Paolo Baratta, president of the Biennale,

As usual, the Biennale will present national

added: “The divide between architecture and

pavilions reflecting on the main theme,

civil society, caused by the latter’s increasing

which will be located at Venice’s Giardini,

difficulty in expressing its own needs and

Arsenale, and in the historic city centre.

finding appropriate answers, has led to dramatic

The festival – one of the most important

urban developments whose main feature is

in the architectural calendar – will run

the marked absence of public spaces, or the

from 26 May to 25 November 2018.

growth of other areas dominated by indifference in the suburbs and peripheries of our cities.

Farrell and McNamara are co-founders of

Venice Biennale president

Irish practice Grafton Architects; winners

Paolo Baratta said design

in 2016 of the inaugural RIBA International

and civil society must be

world poorer and diminishes the level of public

Prize for the UTEC University campus in Lima,

more closely connected

welfare, otherwise reached by economic and

Peru. They follow in the footsteps of Chilean

demographic developments. To rediscover

architect Alejandro Aravena, who explored

architecture means to renew a strong desire for

the relationship between architecture and

the quality of the spaces where we live, which

civil society in his 2016 Venice Biennale.

“The absence of architecture makes the

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLADGLOBAL.COM 19

CLAD PEOPLE

PROJECT

V&A Exhibition Road Quarter, London

There is no other institution that would be quite so audacious in its commission Amanda Levete Director AL _ A

T

AL_A sought to reframe the

he largest building project undertaken by London’s

relationship between the Exhibition

Victoria and Albert Museum

Road street and the museum by

(V&A) in over 100 years

“breaking down the barrier between the two” to create a democratic,

has opened to the public.

accessible and public space.

Architect Amanda Levete and

Sir Aston Webb’s original

her firm AL_A have designed the

IMAGE: MATT HOLYOAKS

AL_A’s design concept for the

new V&A Exhibition Road Quarter,

stone-built ‘screens’ which separate

comprised of a courtyard, a vast

the street from his V&A buildings

underground exhibition gallery and

have been opened up to reveal

a new entrance to the museum.

new views of the historic structures hidden behind; creating space for

The project has redeveloped 2,200sq m of underused space,

visitors to flow through the site

providing the V&A with an additional

and into the newly-landscaped

6,400sq m across its densely

Sackler Courtyard. Described as

occupied South Kensington site.

“the world’s first porcelain public courtyard,” this is covered with

project was to ‘make visible

11,000 hand-crafted porcelain

the invisible through large

tiles made in the Netherlands.

moves and small details alike’

“We have created a less formal, more public place that is as much of the street as it is of the museum,” said Levete. “It will attract and welcome in new audiences, making ideas of accessibility and democracy very explicit. This Quarter reimagines the museum as an urban project. The new courtyard creates an exceptional place for London – a destination for installations, events and, above IMAGE: HUFTON+CROW

20 CLADGLOBAL.COM

all, for appropriation by the public.”

Below the courtyard is the 1,100sq m underground Sainsbury Gallery: a hyper-flexible column-free exhibition space purpose-built to

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLAD PEOPLE

house world-leading temporary exhibitions. An oculus brings moments of daylight into the gallery, while a dramatic ceiling is formed

IMAGES THIS PAGE: HUFTON+CROW

Levete said she respected the museum’s ’radical’ commitment to daring and innovation

by the building’s 256-tonne steel structure – including fourteen triangular-section trusses that span 38m uninterrupted.

The final element of the renovation and extension was The Blavatnik Hall: a new entrance into the V&A that takes visitors through the existing buildings of the historic Western Range. Three bays of Webb’s original buildings have been cut to create the doorways for the new entrance, “exposing the elegant profile of the stonework and becoming an eloquent example of the power of revealing more by subtraction than by addition.”

The V&A houses many of the UK’s national collections, and explores cultural areas including architecture, furniture, fashion, photography, theatre and art.

“Our design was born from a deep engagement with the heritage, architecture and collections of the V&A,” said Levete. “An understanding of the mission of the museum and its collection led to our ambition of ‘making visible the invisible’ played out in the design through large

AL_A installed 11,000 hand-crafted tiles to create the ‘world’s first’ porcelain public courtyard

moves and small details alike. ●

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLADGLOBAL.COM 21

CLAD news

CLAD News Stanton Williams complete transformation of historic Nantes art museum The new museum has been conceived around the existing collections; creating an intimate dialogue between art and architecture

The architects have built

Patrick Richard

a new extension to the museum called ‘the Cube’

A

historic fine art museum

present the cityscape as another

in Nantes, France, has

artwork – “offering a reversed

reopened following a major

extension of space and carrying the

transformation by British

architects Stanton Williams.

imprints of the pedestrians, cyclists, and cars, as they journey around.”

The firm have designed several extensions to the Musée d’arts de

Optimising the light

Nantes’ original 19th century ‘Palais’

The staircase on the south side

LEFT AND BELOW: HUFTON+CROW

building and 17th century Oratory

of the extension is formed of a

Chapel – creating an additional

suspended curtain wall made of

4,000sq m (430,000sq ft) of space

marble and translucent laminated

for artworks to be exhibited.

glass; a light contrast to the Palais’

The €48.8m (US$545m, £430m)

staircase. The glass roof that used to

popular institution – previously

light the galleries has been replaced

known as the Musée des Beaux-Arts

by superimposed layers of glass

– from an “introverted [complex]

and stretched fabric – creating

into a vibrant, democratic and

a ‘passing clouds’ effect to retain

welcoming contemporary

and optimise natural light.

space that is open to the city and its people and visitors.”

New facilities include an

To pay tribute to the Beaux-Arts architecture of the original Musée, Stanton Williams used a

auditorium, library, educational

consistent palette of materials

spaces, an archive, and an external

in the renovated spaces.

sculpture court. New landscaping

“This creates the impression

and access routes have also been

that the museum is one

added around the museum.

monolithic volume - carved

The Palais, designed in the 1890s by architect Clément-Marie Josso from Nantes, has been linked

out of a single block of stone,” they said in a statement.

Project leader Patrick Richard

by a new gallery to an extension

said an “intimate dialogue between

designed to be ‘vibrant,

called ‘the Cube’. This features

art and architecture firmly embeds

democratic and welcoming’

contemporary galleries on four

the museum within the distinctive

floors. Openings to the outside

historical setting of the city.”

The new museum is

24 CLADGLOBAL.COM

existing protected monumental

project was conceived to turn the

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

IMAGE: STEFANO GRAZIANI

CLAD PEOPLE

The museum’s existing monumental staircase has been preserved

style of the original Musée, a consistent palette of materials is used in the renovated spaces

IMAGE: HUFTON+CROW

IMAGE: HUFTON+CROW

In keeping with the Beaux-Arts

IMAGES: ELEMENTAL AND MALCOLM READING CONSULTANTS

The waterfront’s existing grain silos are incorporated into the design

Alejandro Aravena and Elemental win architecture competition for Art Mill museum on Doha Bay

T

he architecture firm of

to art and culture. The site is close

to begin in 2019. A budget for the

Chilean Pritzker Prize winner

to I.M. Pei’s Museum of Islamic

project has not been revealed.

Alejandro Aravena have won

Art and Jean Nouvel’s forthcoming

an international competition

National Museum of Qatar.

to design a “pre-eminent” Art

Inside, there will 80,000sq m

Mill museum on the historic

(861,100sq ft) of gross space for

waterfront of Doha, Qatar.

“Art Mill will be an international exemplar where art connects across cultures and boundaries,” said Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad

galleries, exhibition halls, research

bin Khalifa Al-Thani, chair of the

The museum will be built

facilities and conference and event

jury and client Qatar Museums.

on a site home to the country’s

areas. The wider site, covering some

“The design evokes a strong

original flour mills, which

83,500sq m (898,800sq ft) will boast

sense of calm. The team showed

have produced bread for the

community facilities, food and

a love of simplicity in the use

population since the 1980s.

beverage outlets and family amen-

of humble materials, which will

ities. Construction is anticipated

acquire a patina with age.”

Elemental have taken inspiration from the monumental grain silos

Elemental will now develop

on the site, contrasting these

the concept design with

retained structures, which exist

climate engineers Transsolar,

in a strict geometry, with a looser

structural engineers Schlaich

grouping of new buildings. These

Bergermann, and global

will act as cooling chimneys

design consultants Stantec.

Elemental’s assured handling of space and scale in its treatment of the silos creates a memorable and original scheme Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, jury chair

circulating air through the site.

The concept design was described by the competition jury as “a serene artwork, where the IMAGE: AP PHOTO/LUIGI COSTANTINI

structure is the architecture”.

The Art Mill museum will be one of several institutions on the waterfront dedicated Alejandro Aravena’s studio topped an eight-strong competition shortlist

26

The Art Mill will help form a new cultural district for Doha

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLAD news

The hotel’s new interiors were created by four designers

Historic Hôtel de Crillon reopens with Rosewood spa and Karl Lagerfeld-designed suites

T

he iconic Hôtel de Crillon in

Les Grands Appartements, which he

Paris has re-opened following

every aspect of the building

says convey his “personal vision of

a four-year €176m (US$200m,

– including the restoration of

French chic and modernity”.

£150m) restoration led by

architect Richard Martinet.

Karl Lagerfeld

The redevelopment involved

the landmark façade and grand reception rooms on the second floor,

Facilities at the hotel include a Rosewood Spa, a salon, two fine

The 18th century property now

where the likes of Charlie Chaplin,

dining restaurants operated by

houses 78 rooms, 36 suites and 10

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Andy

Michelin star chefs and three bars.

signature suites and is operated by

Warhol have wined and dined.

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts.

The hotel’s new interiors were

The spa houses a number of treatment rooms and a large wet

created by four Paris-based

area, including a newly built,

designers: Tristan Auer, Chahan

signature swimming pool. Natural

Minassian, Cyril Vergniol and Aline

light is used to illuminate 17,600

Asmar d’Amman. Fashion industry

gold scales of the residential-style

icon Karl Lagerfeld has decorated

pool, which is surrounded by lavish

two of the signature suites, called

and luxury decorations.

Hotél de Crillon is Hong Kong-

Our guiding philosophy is ‘a sense of place’ and this hotel intrinsically reflects the heart and soul of Paris – timeless yet with an edge Radha Arora

Hotél de Crillon is Rosewood’s third European property

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

based Rosewood’s third property in Europe. Radha Arora, president of the company, said: “Our guiding philosophy is ‘a sense of place’ and this hotel intrinsically reflects the heart and soul of Paris. It radiates fine French contemporary lifestyle, timeless yet with an edge.”

CLADGLOBAL.COM 27

CLAD news

With its remarkable scale, form and function, this project will resonate the world over as the symbol of a prosperous Dubai Issam Galadari

The project is in the late design phase and construction has begun

‘World’s largest cantilever’ to link dramatic Dubai towers IMAGES: NIKKEN SEKKEI

J

apanese architecture

composed of glass with external

practice Nikken Sekkei are

fins, allowing them to merge into

designing “a timeless new

the background and evoking the

icon” for the city of Dubai:

sense of a shimmering mirage.

two soaring towers connected by the world’s largest cantilever.

The huge mixed-use scheme,

the city’s highway. The facade

called One Za’abeel, will feature

of this platform is inspired by

at its heart a dramatic protruding

horizontal layers of rock in the

steel skybridge called The Linx.

earth, while vertical terraces,

Suspended 100m above the ground,

landscaping and water features

the panoramic space will house

will create a feeling of ascent.

restaurants and bars, an observa-

The podium will be topped

tion deck, a gym, a spa, a pool, a

by a landscaped green roof, and

banquet hall and a rooftop terrace.

As well as creating a “floating event space and urban landmark” for the project, The Linx will

The project is being developed by real estate firm Ithra Dubai as a focal point for the city’s

stability of both towers. Its

financial district. CEO Issam

diagonal tube structure will provide

Galadari said: “One Za’abeel will

vertical and torsional strength,

be a centre of high-end diverse

and allow their upper floors to

activity capable of generating

The towers themselves will

28 CLADGLOBAL.COM

visitors can enjoy public events in a plaza between the two towers.

also reinforce the structural

utilise column-free spaces.

A steel skybridge called The Linx connects the two towers

One Za’abeel will rise from a two-storey podium dissected by

interest and value for the entire area. The iconic shape will serve as

feature a luxury and an ultra-luxury

a memorable gateway; welcoming

hotel, high-end retail, offices

investors, residents, citizens and

and residential apartments

tourists to discover the hustle and

The buildings will be mainly

bustle of an ever growing city.”

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLAD news

A

The name, which means

rchitecture practice Snøhetta have partnered

‘Barley’ in Old Norse, reflects the

with acclaimed chef

chef’s fascination with an eating culture encompassing meals such

Thorsten Schmidt to

create a new restaurant in the

as Danish meatballs, schnitzel

former home of the world-re-

and hot-smoked salmon.

The design team carefully studied

nowned Danish eatery Noma.

food and beer from the region, and

Snøhetta have designed the interiors and new graphic identity

this influenced everything from

for Barr, which is located in the

the colour palette to the furniture.

Local touches have also been

protected North Atlantic House on Copenhagen’s waterfront.

Barr is owned by the Noma group and involves its predecessor’s head chef, René Redzepi. The concept is again centred around the food and drink traditions found in

IMAGES: LINE KLEIN

Snøhetta inspired by culinary culture of Nordic region for Barr – the new Copenhagen restaurant from Noma

Reflecting the overarching vision for Barr, we believe we have created a feeling of formal informality Peter Girgis

the region along the North Sea.

adopted throughout. Most of the oak used for furniture and interiors was harvested from trees grown less than 50km away, while the relief patterns of the ceiling and wall panels are

Food served at Barr celebrates

inspired by the microscopic view

local culinary traditions

of barley, one of the three main ingredients in local beer making.

“Designing within the context

Raw materials such as wood,

of a listed building meant that we

leather and wool evoke the

needed to understand the space

restaurant’s Northern influence

carefully,” said Peter Girgis, senior

and furniture was created by Malte

interior architect at Snøhetta.

Gormsen using traditional Danish craftsmanship and carpentry.

Throughout there is a juxtapo-

“We’ve created new components, including custom furniture and cabinetry, which enhance Barr’s

sition of old and new, including

identity and philosophy, while at

original ceiling beams placed along-

the same time providing a connec-

side new, sculpted wooden planks.

tion to the original Noma space.”

Furniture was created by cabinet maker Malte Gormsen using traditional Danish Original ceiling beams

craftsmanship and carpentry

are placed alongside new, sculpted wooden planks

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLADGLOBAL.COM 29

CLAD news

Interlinked footpaths suspended above the forest fl oor will protect the fl ora and fauna below

Zaha Hadid Architects reveal Mayan Riviera residences engulfed by the jungle

Z Juan Ignacio Aranguren is ZHA’s project director for Alai

aha Hadid Architects

species to return most of the

(ZHA) have designed a

site to its natural state.

host of leisure features for a residential building on

The planned on-site botanical nursery will help restore the

Sport, leisure and wellness amenities will all be located across the platform, around 9m (29.5ft) above the ground.

The apartments are organised in

Mexico’s Mayan Riviera, including a

local ecosystem further and is

woodland nature reserve, botanical

set to become an attraction and

four different floor typologies and

nursery and a network of footpaths

education facility in its own right.

the glazed exterior walls of each

suspended above a lagoon.

IMAGES: MIR

Located on a site prepared by a previous owner for an

Interlinked footpaths suspended above the forest floor will allow residents to access the

residential community from with the creation being guided by environmental principles.

ZHA’s design for Alai is defined by the site’s rich natural envi-

“Echoing the rich textures and surface complexity within the local Mayan masonry, and the architec-

unbuilt complex, Alai is a new developer Pulso Inmobiliario,

open onto large private balconies.

Alai’s design is defined by its rich natural environment and reinterprets local Mayan heritage in a contemporary adaptation Zaha Hadid Architects

tural tradition derived from the repetition and variation of a small number of geometric components, the differing texture and patterning of each building’s façade within Alai is generated by assembling the

ronment and surrounding Mayan

woodlands, coast and lagoon

balcony units and façade elements

heritage and design traditions.

without disturbing the ground

in varying sequences,” said ZHA.

The footprint of all residential buildings has been limited to less

and damaging the wildlife.

The buildings themselves will

“This enables elements of relatively few different designs to create

than seven per cent of the site’s

share an elevated platform with

a unique façade for each building,

total area, enabling landscape

integrated perforations, “allowing

yet maintains a cohesive design

architects Gross Max to retain

natural light to flood the ground

language. These textured façade

The design team will create a new

the existing tropical vegetation

below and enabling tropical

and balcony units provide solar

reserve and replant the wetlands

and replant previously-disrupted

vegetation to grow upwards.”

shading to the apartments within.”

30 CLADGLOBAL.COM

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

IMAGE: BRUCE FORSTER

CLAD news

The Cultural Village is surrounded by several new LEED-certifi ed structures

Kengo Kuma’s Cultural Village for Portland’s Japanese Garden opens to the public

Kengo Kuma

and immerses visitors in traditional

existing land to add 3.4 acres of

US$33.5m (€31.3m, £26.2m)

Japanese arts and culture.

usable space to the 9.1 acre property.

S

the serenity is protected for future

towns that surround sacred shrines

its kind gardens outside Japan,

generations”, Kuma followed his

and temples, using a combination

has opened to the public.

The project, Kuma’s first public

Village that provides additional

Garden’s curator, third generation

absorb rainwater and evoke the

master garden craftsman Sadafumi

thatched roofs of fishing huts

attraction’s rapid visitor growth

Uchiyama, he reused and optimised

used centuries ago in Japan.

Resort accommodations include 47 guest rooms and suites, with 17

47–bedroom Six Senses Crans-

Six Senses three- and four-bedroom

Montana will operate under a

residential units also available. Two

long-term management agreement

restaurants are planned as well as a

with 1875 Finance. The resort is

sun terrace and bar and retail space.

located in the prominent ski areas

Recycled, local materials will

of Valais, two hours from Geneva.

be selected by the architect and design teams, and repurposed materials will be used in the

include a gym and fitness studio,

manufacture of finishes including

a pool and a relaxation area.

flooring, millwork and fabrics.

“The resort nicely complements

A blackwater and greywater system are to be included into

Portugal, Six Senses Residences

the infrastructure of the project

Courchevel in France as well

ensuring that wastewater is reused

as the seven Six Senses spas in

within the building operations.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

Many of the new structures feature living roofs, which

space to accommodate the

Bernhard Bohnenberger.

Six Senses Douro Valley in

of locally sourced materials and Japanese craftsmanship.

In collaboration with the

the creation of a new Cultural

Europe,” said company president

The resort’s architect is Paris-

trademark design principles of continuity between nature, natural materials, and Japanese tradition.

commission in the US, has seen

ix Senses Hotels Resorts Spas

based firm AW2. Wellness offerings

The Village emulates Japan’s ‘monzenmachi’, the gate-front

as one of the most authentic of

has announced plans to open Upon completion, the

ence of each visitor “and ensure

Japanese Garden, celebrated

Six Senses to open Swiss resort with 2,000sq m spa its first resort in Switzerland.

To honour the singular experi-

expansion of Portland’s

IMAGE: SIX SENSES

This new Cultural Village serves as a connector of the stunning Oregon landscape, Japanese arts and a subtle gradation to architecture

K

engo Kuma’s US$33.5m

Recycled, local materials will be selected by the architect

This will offer an amazing selection of outdoor activities including onsite ski-in and ski out access plus a rich wellness offering Bernhard Bohnenberger

CLADGLOBAL.COM 31

The Trainyard Gym is open 24/7 to inject energy into the city’s business district

Windows look out onto the Beijing skyline, including OMA’s CCTV skyscraper

Beijing gym inspired by street art offers city ‘go-to spot for fitness’ Stickman Tribe were inspired by local street art when designing the club

A

3,500sq m (37,600sq ft)

The building features 11

Shangri-La health club

dedicated work-out zones, a

designed to “inject energy

Mixed Martial Arts area with a

into the heart of Beijing’s

boxing ring; a 25m heated lap

central business district” has

opened in the Chinese capital.

The 450-bedroom Hotel Jen

sauna, steam room and whirlpools; a juice bar; and several studio

Beijing – a Shangri-La property – is

spaces – including a 30-bike

operating the Trainyard Gym, keep-

spinning studio and a Pilates room.

ing it open 24/7 in a bid to cement

“There’s no other fitness space

the facility as “the city’s go-to spot

like Trainyard Gym in Beijing and

for fitness, recreation and nutrition.”

we are proud to be bringing this

Designed by Stickman Tribe,

32 CLADGLOBAL.COM

swimming pool with skylight; a

world-class health club experience

the club’s look is inspired by

to the city,” said Clifford Weiner,

street art and the area’s industrial

general manager of Hotel Jen

buildings. Graffiti artwork is

Beijing. “It will be a place for local

spread across two floors, while

residents and foreign guests to

several floor-to-ceiling windows

connect, work out, push limits,

offer panoramic views of Beijing.

and break boundaries together.”

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLAD news

Subterranean spa and a ‘concourse of lava’: Details revealed for Iceland’s Blue Lagoon expansion A 62-bedroom hotel, called The Retreat, will be built into a mosscovered lava fl ow

T

his autumn, the famed Blue

Design Group Italia have worked

Lagoon in Iceland will open a

on the experience, including the

ceiling windows and terraces and

subterranean spa, a 62-bed-

interiors, service and design.

balconies overlooking the waters.

of it surroundings, with floor-to-

room luxury hotel and a

Lava Cove will feature open

restaurant celebrating the country’s

spaces, plateaus, waterfalls and

six million litres of geothermal

culinary heritage, all designed by

lava corridors designed to invite

seawater, is one of the most popular

Reykjavik-based Basalt Architects.

discovery and enable serenity.

tourist attractions in Iceland.

The Blue Lagoon, which holds

The spa’s water is sourced

Sigridur Sigthorsdottir of

Dagný Pétursdóttir said: “We

from the same volcanic aquifer

Basalt Architects has been the

are evolving and expanding

of seawater as the lagoon.

architect at Blue Lagoon for

Blue Lagoon managing director

our horizons. We want to create

Massage and treatment rooms, a

almost 20 years, and her work

unforgettable memories erasing

relaxation lounge and a panoramic

in harmonising the man-made

the boundary between nature,

viewing deck all feature.

and natural environment has

wellness and hospitality.”

The 62-bedroom hotel, called

Built into an 800-year-old lava

The Retreat, will be built into a

received international acclaim.

Blue Lagoon’s first phase of

flow on the south shore of the Blue

moss-covered lava flow dating

Lagoon, the spa – dubbed Lava Cove

from the year 1226. Powered by

enlarging the main lagoon by

– is designed to be a convergence

sustainable energy and surrounded

half and introducing a new

of nature, architecture and the

by the mineral-rich waters of Lava

access control system designed

power of geothermal seawater.

Lagoon, it will take full advantage

to improve the guest experience.

expansion, in 2016, included

Our foundation is the unique geothermal seawater and our stunning environment Dagný Pétursdóttir

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLADGLOBAL.COM 33

The building design is inspired by traditional Chinese theatres

IMAGES: LAURIAN GHINITOIU

B

Heatherwick Studio and Foster + Partners create shape-shifting Shanghai theatre on The Bund

erlin-based architecture pho-

to the changing use within –

tographer Laurian Ghinitoiu

revealing, when required, a stage on

has captured the first images

the balcony and windows looking

of an elegant new Shanghai

out towards the district of Pudong.

theatre designed by the studios of

Ghinitoiu’s images show the

Thomas Heatherwick and Norman

dramatic effect achieved by this

Foster with a kinetic moving façade.

moving curtain, which is formed by

The flexible arts and cultural

Heatherwick and Foster both worked on the project

PHOTO: JOHN STILLWELL/PA IMAGES

venue is the focal point of

overlapping layers of bronze tubes.

The Bund Financial Centre is

the Bund Finance Centre; a

being created at the end of the city’s

new 420,000sq m (4.5 million

famous waterfront street The Bund.

sq ft) mixed-use destination

Heatherwick and Foster have

Foster+Partners and Heatherwick

designed two 180m (590ft)

Studio have designed for the city.

towers to mark the south of the

According to the design team,

site. Other buildings – including

the cultural centre is inspired

offices, restaurants, shops and a

by the open stages of traditional

boutique hotel – will be staggered

Chinese theatres. The new images

in height and relate in scale

demonstrate how the building’s

and rhythm to the grand area’s

bronze-finned moving veil adapts

nineteenth-century landmarks.

The moving curtain of the cultural centre’s façade is formed by overlapping layers of bronze tubes

34 CLADGLOBAL.COM

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

Photo of Beijing Stadium: © Arup, Chris Dite

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31.05.17 11:41

CLAD news

It’s much more than a rowing stadium, says the architect

We wanted to merge the classical disciplines of rowing with other forms of leisure Anders Tyrrestrup

AART Architects win design competition for timber-clad new Denmark Rowing Stadium

D

anish practice AART

the surroundings”, while also

international design com-

providing a transition between

petition to create Denmark’s

the expansive view over the lake

Rowing Stadium; a new venue for

open rowing centre for

IMAGES: AART ARCHITECTS

The focal point will be an athletes and the public

“Our ambition was to design a

that will be situated on Bagsværd

stadium that blends gently into

Lake, outside of Copenhagen.

its protected natural setting while

The concept behind the studio’s

also providing generous facilities

winning design – which will be

for all users,” said AART partner

surrounded by water and forest

Anders Tyrrestrup. “Inspired

on all sides – is that the “classical

by these scenic surroundings,

disciplines of rowing intersect

we wanted to create more

with other forms of leisure.”

than just a rowing stadium.”

“It is much more than a rowing

The public will be encouraged

stadium,” AART said. “It’s a centre

to use a large activity space

that mixes various kinds of sports

surrounding the centre, in addition

with social and scenic experiences.

to a promenade square in front of

It shows that sport – for the elite

the boat hall and a long stretch

and the public – is not just about

of nearby public parkland.

social well-being and mental health.”

36 CLADGLOBAL.COM

and the denser area of forest.

both the public and elite athletes

strength and stamina, but also

The timber-clad centre will extend from the stadium’s boat house

façade will “reveal its life to

Architects have won an

A referee tower will also be constructed for the stadium,

The focal point of the complex

featuring an integrated climbing

will be an open rowing centre from

wall and pull-up bars. Designed

which athletes and members of

to be a landmark for the lake and

the public alike can train, attend

the new facility, the structure will

workshops, socialise and sign up

resemble one of the forest’s soaring

for a variety of activities. This

trees; using vertical wooden slats

tiered structure, clad in timber,

to create an affinity with the centre

will extend from the stadium’s

and to contrast with the horizontal

boat house. The semi-transparent

lines of the spectator stands.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

Plants and trees will cover every surface of Stefano Boeri’s forthcoming Liuzhou Forest City

T

he Italian architect and

is the first of its kind in the

Solar panels over the rooftops

‘vertical forest’ pioneer

country. It will be located on a 175

will generate renewable energy,

Stefano Boeri has overseen

hectare site in the mountain area

while interior air-conditioning will

the start of construction on

of Guangxi, southern China, and

be powered by geothermal energy.

his vast masterplan for Liuzhou

linked to neighbouring towns

Forest City in China; a metropolis

through a futuristic rail network.

host 40,000 trees and almost one

When finished in 2020, it is

million plants of over 100 species.

and hotels to restaurants and the

designed to host 30,000 people,

The diffusion of flora and fauna in

railway station – will be entirely

absorb almost 10,000 tons of

parks, gardens, streets and all over

covered by plants and trees.

CO2 and 57 tons of pollutants

the building façades will decrease

where every building – from houses

The green city, designed to fight pollution through design,

In total, Liuzhou Forest City will

per year and produce approx-

the average air temperature, create

imately 900 tons of oxygen.

noise barriers and improve the

This will combine the challenge for energy self-sufficiency and for the use of renewable energy with the challenge to increase biodiversity and effectively reduce air pollution Stefano Boeri

biodiversity of living species.

“For the first time in China IMAGES: STEFANO BOERI ARCHITETTI

and in the world, an innovative

really critical for present-day China.”

Boeri is best known for his

urban settlement will combine the

Vertical Forest towers in Milan, and

challenge for energy self-sufficiency

is currently working on similar

and for the use of renewable energy

projects in Shanghai, Shenzhen

with the challenge to increase bio-

and Nanjing. For the latter, he

diversity and to effectively reduce

has designed a tower complex

air pollution in urban areas, said

covered by 1,100 trees and 2,500

Boeri. “We’ll achieve this through

cascading plants to house a

the multiplication of vegetable and

museum, a green architecture

biological urban surfaces. This is

school and a Hyatt hotel.

Liuzhou Forest City will host 40,000 trees and almost one million plants

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLADGLOBAL.COM 37

CLAD news

The most important challenge is maintaining the classical context and building something new which looks towards the future Tadao Ando

Tadao Ando reveals vision for cylindrical art museum in Paris’ historic Bourse de la Commerce and will lead visitors around the

been released showing Tadao

periphery and to the stairwells.

Ando’s plans to convert

There will be 3,000sq m (32,300sq

Paris’ historic Bourse de

ft) of exhibition space, including

la Commerce building into a

a double height gallery designed

new contemporary art museum

to house large-scale artworks from

for the collection of billionaire

Pinault’s billion euro art collection.

businessman François Pinault.

There will also be a 300-seat

The Bourse, built in the 19th-cen-

auditorium, a black-box theatre,

tury by architect François-Joseph

and a top floor restaurant. Up to

Bélanger, is a circular structure

2,000 people will be able to explore

topped with a high glass dome

the museum at any one time.

located close to the recently revamped Les Halles culture centre.

Ando plans to install a 9m

Ando’s intervention, developed with Niney & Marca Architectes and restoration specialist Pierre-Antoine

(29.5ft) high concrete cylinder

Gatier, will also see the Bourse de

in the centre of building – which

la Commerce’s huge dome carefully

once housed the city’s grain store.

restored, along with the structure’s

The interior layout – described

by Ando as a “circle within a perfect circle” – will take the

façade, interior murals, double-helix stairway and exterior fountain.

The project will cost a reported

form of a classic rotunda with

€108m (US$122.7m, £95m). The

arcades. New corridor space will be

Pinault Collection will pay the city

created between the outside of the

anually to hold a 50-year lease.

cylinder, which spans 30m (98.4ft),

Construction is set to begin soon

and the existing interior façade,

and may be completed by 2019. ●

38 CLADGLOBAL.COM

Wide new circulation spaces will be created between the outside of the cylinder and the building’s existing interior façade

IMAGES: ©ARTEFACTORY LAB ; TADAO ANDO ARCHITECT & ASSOCIATES ; NEM / NINEY & MARCA ARCHITECTES ; AGENCE PIERRE-ANTOINE GATIER. COURTESY COLLECTION PINAULT – PARIS.

T

he first design images have

The layout is described

by Ando as a ‘circle

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

within a perfect circle’ CLADGLOBAL.COM 39

NEWS FEATURE

MVRDV’s Seoul Skygarden of 24,000 plants and trees opens above the South Korean capital The mayor of Seoul, Won-soon Park, has officially opened a 983 metre long botanical ‘floating walkway’ along a transformed city highway

the Skygarden, also known as Seoullo 7017, is a linear park featuring 24,000 plants, trees, shrubs and flowers from

200 local species – creating “a walkable plant library” for residents and visitors to the city.

“Skygarden offers a living dictionary of plants which are part of the natural heritage of South Korea,” said MVRDV founder Winy Maas.

“They are planted in containers of different size and height and organised in

IN HIS OWN WORDS

MARTIN DIJKSTRA FOR DUTCH DESIGN WEEK

D

esigned by Dutch architects MVRDV,

Winy Maas, MVRDV This is an example of how public investment in an area of a city that needs attention can be a catalyst for other developments. The area around the site is already coming alive. I think a project like this is good for Seoul; a city that has another kind of urbanism. It’s exciting to walk along the overpass and through the parks. The technical aspect of installing greenery on top of a structure from the 1950s, built originally with bad concrete and a load-bearing system that wasn’t efficient, was a big challenge. With the focus of city architects and the mayor, and a great collaboration with local government, we’ve been successful in delivering something that I really like.

groups of families. The families are ordered according to the Korean alphabet. This leads to surprising spatial compositions”.

Inspired in part by New York’s High Line, the project was conceived to make the city, and especially the central station district, greener, friendlier and more attractive, whilst connecting all patches of green in the wider area.

The architects, the municipality, local NGOs, landscape teams and city advisers all collaborated on the project. New bridges and stairs connect the overpass with hotels, shops, cafés, viewpoints and gardens – integrating the scheme with the communities it passes over.

This Skygarden offers a living dictionary of plants

The Skygarden is separated into several zones, including a collection of small gardens with their own compositions, perfumes, colours and seasonal themes.

At night, the park is illuminated with blue lights, and during festivals and celebrations, different colours can be used to create a celebratory atmosphere.

Inspired in part by

MVRDV worked together with co-architects,

New York’s High Line, the

DMP, and a dedicated team of experts including

project was conceived to

Saman Engineering for structural consultation,

make the city greener

Rogier van der Heide and Nanam ALD for lighting, and Ben Kuipers and KECC on the

IMAGES: OSSIP VAN DUIVENBODE

landscape design and plant varieties.

The name ‘Seoullo’ translates as ‘towards Seoul’, while 7017 marks the overpass’ construction year of 1970, and its new function as a public walkway in 2017. There are also 17 connected paths on the route, and the overpass is 17 metres high.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

The skygarden is separated into several zones along its lengthy route across downtown Seoul

Seoul's deputy mayor, Kim Joon-Kee, talks to CLAD about the project What inspired the idea to create this park in the sky?

In 2014, we started discussing the idea because of concerns about the safety of citizens. The Seoul Station Overpass – which was built in 1970, crossing east and west of Seoul Station to relieve traffic congestion – was no longer able to serve as a road, despite continuous maintenance. Initially, the city government had considered demolishing it, but we finally came up with the idea of reusing it as a pedestrian-friendly walkway. This decision resolved its safety problems.

Seoul is a city where tradition and modernity harmoniously co-exist. What Seoul needs is urban regeneration that restores historic buildings and connects cultural heritage, rather than the kind of

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

construction and development it has seen in the past.

Based on these values, we intended to revitalise the surrounding area through the addition of the walkway, while preserving the historical features of the Seoul Station Overpass.

Do you think there’s potential for cities wanting to reuse their existing infrastructure in this way?

Yes, there are many opportunities for other cities that want to reuse their existing infrastructure instead of getting rid of it. Reusing existing infrastructure will make cities realise that 21st century sustainable growth strategies create future value through a paradigm shift that complements and integrates preservation and change in the city.

What’s been the reaction?

T he Seoullo 7017 is a symbol of the transformation of Seoul from a development-centred city into a renewed, sustainable one. But it's the starting point of this transformation, not the end. We expect citizens and visitors to now walk around downtown Seoul in 20 minutes using the Seoullo 7017. With Seoul’s aim of becoming a walkable city, this garden will improve citizens' quality of life and revive the local economy. ●

Visitors can observe life taking place on the roads and streets below Seoullo 7017

CLADGLOBAL.COM 41

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It’s not controversy, it’s dialogue.

It’s very healthy

PHOTO: ©ALEX DE BRABANT FOR THE TALKS

David Chipperfi eld studied at Kingston School of Art and the AA in London

44 CLADGLOBAL.COM

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

INTERVIEW

DAVID CHIPPERFIELD The British architect talks to Magali Robathan about Brexit, our changing cities and the media’s hunger for controversy he danger in architecture is that we’re being encouraged more and more to create signature buildings; things that are photogenic and that will look good in magazines,” says David Chipperfield.

“As I get older, I’m much less interested in architecture per se.

I’m more interested in the societal issues of architecture and how we should be dealing with the development of our cities; with issues of public space and the public realm.”

I’m sitting around a table with Chipperfield, and we’re discussing the changing face of our cities. I ask him why it’s important that the spaces we spend our leisure time in are well designed.

“Because they represent the things that connect us,” he says. “Contemporary society tends to celebrate and exaggerate individualism, but we are resilient creatures that want to gather together. “ Why do we go to restaurants and pay a fortune for something that we could have cooked at home, to sit in a room with 50 other people we never speak to? It’s our desire to be part of something bigger; to be part of society.

“Our cities used to be very representative of those ambitions,” he continues. “But gradually territory is being privatised. We’re less and less able to give a form to those ambitions, and – particularly in the UK – we rely increasingly on

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

the private sector to make gestures towards the public.In the Germanic world, I feel that there’s a strong public voice. There are still planners with this philosophy and the State still has a voice.

In Britain, there’s no coordinated public voice.”

Despite being British, David Chipperfield has always worked more outside the UK than within it, and his view of architecture is a global one.

His practice, David Chipperfield Architects (DCA), is currently working on museum projects in Sudan, Germany, China, India, Switzerland and the US, as well as a whole range of other high-profile jobs including the Nobel Center in Stockholm, an overhaul of the Royal Academy of Arts in London and the refurbishment of Mies van der Rohe’s Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin.

To say he’s busy is something of an understatement. In the four days before we meet in Berlin, he tells me he’s been to London, New York, Zurich and Stockholm, and this travel pattern is typical of his jet-setting life.

“I’m involved in everything we do,” he explains. “The directors here stress-test every project; we rattle each one until we think it’s the best it can be. We never stop.”

We meet in DCA’s Berlin office, which is housed in a former piano factory that was itself restored and extended by the practice. It’s an attractive complex arranged around a central courtyard, with a staff restaurant that’s also open to the public.

CLADGLOBAL.COM 45

INTERVIEW: DAVID CHIPPERFIELD

Museo Jumex in Mexico City was DCA’s fi rst building in Latin America

46 CLADGLOBAL.COM

BUILDING A REPUTATION Chipperfield trained at Kingston School of Art and the Architectural Association. Early in his career, at the start of the 1980s, he worked for Richard Rogers and then for Norman Foster.

“One of the biggest things I took away from working in those two offices was the sheer energy and enthusiasm,” he says. “These guys really thought they were changing the world. It was a very inspiring environment to work in.

“Both of them were societally engaged,” he continues. “If you think about the Pompidou Centre, that was probably the last great radical building – much more radical in a way than Gehry’s Guggenheim Bilbao. Bilbao was radical in terms of its form but Pompidou was radical about architecture itself and about society and the idea of accessibility to cultural buildings.”

Chipperfield founded his own practice in London in 1985. His first project was a new store for Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake on London’s Sloane Street. This job led to more

PHOTO: ©UTE ZSCHARNT FOR DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS

PHOTO: IWAN BAAN

If you’re putting a big building up in the middle of a city, I would expect people to present concerns.

Why not? It’s very healthy. It’s part of the planning process

“At lunchtime, you’ ll see 200 people accumulating in this courtyard, having lunch; from our office, but also from other offices and other streets in the area,” says Chipperfield. “This, in a microcosm, represents our social ideas about what an organisation should be.

“We want to create buildings with a certain architectural integrity,” he adds, “and we want to give those buildings meaning by being purposeful in a societal way.”

The central hall in the Neues Museum was destroyed.

Historic plaster casts have been restored and repaired and a new staircase added

work in Japan, a country Chipperfield has said he admires for its attention to detail and sensitivity when it comes to creating simple things.

Although he started out in England, Chipperfield found it a difficult place to work as a young architect, and made his name with a series of projects abroad that include a library in Des Moines, Iowa; a museum in Alaska; new law courts in Barcelona; and, of course, the Neues Museum in Berlin. More recent high profile projects include the St Louis Art Museum in Missouri and the Museo Jumex extension in Mexico City, which was shortlisted in 2016 for the first RIBA International Prize.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

“We made our career as a practice by going outside England and entering competitions,” says Chipperfield. “There were no such competitions in England. The professional environment in the UK hasn’t really nurtured young architects. Because of the focus on the commercial, it’s hard to get investors and developers to take a risk.

“Decision-makers in the commercial sector don’t look at young architects and say, ‘Have they done an office building before? No, but I think they’re talented, let’s give them a chance’.

“They don’t do that. Why would they?”

Chipperfield’s first major project in his home country came in the shape of the River and

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

Rowing Museum in Henley-on-Thames, where he created a bold, modern building while keeping traditionalists happy with a pitched roof and a weathered timber exterior that referenced wooden barns and boatsheds.

The museum was well received, and won a number of awards, but it was another 14 years before David Chipperfield finally received more formal recognition in the UK. In 2011, Chipperfield completed two major public art galleries in the UK – the Hepworth Wakefield and the Turner Contemporary in Margate – and was awarded the RIBA Gold Medal in recognition of a lifetime’s achievement in architecture.

THE NEUES MUSEUM While the UK might have taken a while to recognise Chipperfield’s talents, this didn’t hold him back, and he continued to work on a series of interesting, high profile projects abroad. In 1997, he won the competition for what was to become one of his most important and best loved projects – the Neues Museum in Berlin.

When he won the competition, the old museum was in ruins, having been extensively bombed during the Second World War and neglected ever since. Chipperfield’s winning idea was not to try to recreate the original building, nor to build something shiny and new, but to

CLADGLOBAL.COM 47

INTERVIEW: DAVID CHIPPERFIELD

PHOTO: ©ALEX DE BRABANT FOR THE TALKS

You can say, this is really beautiful, and you can also say, this means something

create a hybrid of the old building, ruins and new work, re-establishing its general form.

The project took 12 years, and required immense patience and attention to detail. Every surface and detail was considered and debated.

Murals and friezes were painstakingly restored by conservation specialist Julian Harrap, bullet marks and shrapnel scars were left untouched in parts, and bold new spaces were created by Chipperfield where restoration wasn’t possible. Through it all, the team had to work to deliver the idea politically.

There was serious concern about the project from some Berliners who wanted full reconstruction of the building, and a sustained campaign was mounted against Chipperfield’s plans.

For Chipperfield, this debate was something to be welcomed; an indication that citizens were passionate and interested in the project.

“It was a healthy dialogue,” he says. “There were 500 newspaper articles about the Neues Museum, and probably 200 were against and 200 were for it. But in the end it doesn’t matter. The building is built and then it’s resolved. And actually the criticism was perfectly valid. I don’t expect people not to criticise the process.”

The end result was a huge success, with the German public queuing for hours to see the

finished museum and Angela Merkel describing it as “one of the most important museum buildings in European cultural history.”

The Neues Museum is one of my favourite buildings, and I tell Chipperfield that I found it both beautiful, and very moving.

“That’s because it deals with history,” he says.

“It deals with bigger issues than just architecture, but at the same time it does deal with architecture.

“You can say, this is really beautiful, and you can also say, this means something.”

CHANGING CITIES With offices and homes in both Berlin and London, Chipperfield is well placed to speak about the differences in the nature of development in Germany and the UK. “In the UK, we have a tendency to embrace the market in a way that’s quite different from Germany,” he tells me. “ There’s no doubt that in all European countries, the state is weaker than it was and private investment is stronger. The question is, can our cities find a balance between the energy and the gift that investment gives and the independent qualities that the city and its citizens enjoy. That balance is a very difficult one.

PHOTO: © SPK / DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS, PHOTO JÖRG VON BRUCHHAUSEN

A new stairway forms the focal point of the Neues Museum’s central hall

48 CLADGLOBAL.COM

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

IMAGE: ©DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS

At 54,000sq m, the Zhejiang is set to be one of the world’s largest museums

CHIPPERFIELD: SELECTED ONGOING PROJECTS

Zhejiang Museum of Natural History ZHEJIANG PROVINCE, CHINA

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND A major extension to the Kunsthaus Zurich in the shape of a new building which will house a collection of classic modernism, the Bührle Collection, temporary exhibitions and a contemporary art collection. A passageway running underneath the square links the Kunsthaus with the new extension.

Due for completion 2019

Creation of huge 54,000sq m new complex

IMAGE: © DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS

Kunsthaus Zurich extension

for the Zhejiang Museum of Natural History, consisting of eight pavilions arranged around a central garden.

Due for completion 2018

Conversion of the former US Embassy LONDON, UK

Nobel Center STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN

Royal Academy of Arts LONDON, UK Renovation and reconfiguration of the Royal Academy of Arts. Galleries will be expanded, a new lecture theatre and

New headquarters for the Nobel Foundation, featuring an auditorium, exhibition and education areas, a restaurant,

will be connected via a new bridge.

Due for completion 2018

US Embassy in Grosvenor Square is being redeveloped into a hotel, spa and ballroom designed by DCA. Due for completion TBC

bar and outdoor public space.

Due for completion 2019

a learning centre will be created and Burlington House and Burlington Gardens

The Eero Saarinen-designed former

Neue Nationalgalerie BERLIN, GERMANY

The Bryant NEW YORK CITY, US 33 storey tower in New York's Manhattan, housing luxury apartments and a hotel.

Due for completion 2017

Refurbishment of Mies van der Rohe’s Neue Nationalgalerie to address safety concerns and restore damaged parts of the original building.

Due for completion 2019

INTERVIEW: DAVID CHIPPERFIELD

Chipperfi eld’s Nobel Center in Stockholm is clad in bronze vertical fi ns

IMAGE: ©DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS

“In Britain, we essentially allow planning to be overtaken by investment. In London now I think there is planning permission for a further 200 towers right now, and more in the pipeline. Those are money packets; it’s not about building a city.

“Each investor will try their hardest to make a good building. They’ll say ‘we have a good architect, we’re spending a lot of money, we’re trying to do it right’. I think they’re being genuine about that, and investors in Britain now are a million times better than they were 20 years ago.

However, they’re still working on projects one by one that don’t necessarily add up to anything.”

Chipperfield uses the example of the Paddington Basin redevelopment project in London to illustrate his point. “The developer has good architects, and a good masterplanner; they’ve spent a lot of money on granite paving and landscaping,” he says. “Have they built a new piece of city? Absolutely not. It could have been a new part of London, but instead it’s an island.

“In Europe, the bigger vision would come from the city itself. The private sector and public sector work together. You get buy-in from the community; you get buy in from the planners. In the UK, there’s no proactive engagement in the planning. proces”

50 CLADGLOBAL.COM

Voting to leave the EU was one of the worst decisions ever made.

Building walls is the daftest thing ever. It’s bad for the mind

He gives a short laugh. “We call our planners ‘development control officers’. The attitude is like when you have mice in your house and you need ‘pest control’, to hold things back. It’s a very clear demonstration of the move from a pro-active idea into a reactive one. Planning departments are underfunded and overwhelmed.”

Chipperfield believes strongly that different cultures should learn from one another, which is one of the reasons he was devastated by the referendum that saw the UK vote to leave the EU.

“It was one of the worst decisions ever made,” he says. “When we have got so much to learn and so much to give to others culturally, building walls is just the daftest thing ever. All of the things that we can learn from our European colleagues are going to be abandoned.

“It’s bad for the mind. It’s bad for culture. It’s going to be very bad for British architecture.”

LOOKING FORWARDS On a personal level, and for his practice, these are hugely exciting times, says Chipperfield. This year sees the completion of several projects, including phase one of the Carmen Würth Forum in July.

This sees the launch of a chamber music hall in Germany designed for the wholesaler Würth Group.

“I think it’s very interesting that a German private company builds a cultural centre for its staff and for the locality,” says Chipperfield.

This year also sees the opening of The Bryant Tower, a high end hotel and residential tower in New York City, and the Inagawa Cemetery Chapel and Visitor Centre in central Japan.

Looking further ahead, DCA is working on so many diverse, interesting projects that it’s difficult to know where to start.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

PHOTO: GENE GLOVER

The obligations we have towards our staff are not business-friendly, but they are people-friendly.

They are the right thing to do

Isolating the UK from Europe is a shocking thing to do, says

IN HIS OWN WORDS DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ON...

On the last building that impressed him The Hamburg Philharmonie. It’s a very impressive achievement.

On the role of architecture As architects, we work in two different modes. One is physical – architecture is in some ways ‘stuff’; it's space, it's material, it's light, it's a window.

At the other end of the spectrum, we're interested in societal issues. Building a nice façade in the city doesn't mean much if there isn't a bigger idea of the city and how it fits in. Building a nice building that doesn’t stimulate how one sees society is a bit weak.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

Ideally, as architects, we like to bring these two things together.

On Brexit Isolating ourselves intellectually and culturally from Europe is a shocking thing to do because we have so much to learn from one another, and so much to contribute.

On the books that have affected him I’ve just read an interesting book

by Ben Lerner, who is a friend of mine, called The Hatred of Poetry. I found it fascinating.

I recently read George Elliott’s Middlemarch – I couldn’t understand why I hadn’t read

Chipperfi eld

it before. It’s wonderful.

I also read Don Quixote for the first time two or three years ago. For me, it’s one of the greatest books.

Germany vs UK – working practices The UK is obsessed with deregulation and the de-protection of professional processes, the importance of the market and of the client. Europe still holds onto strong professional standards which have to do with protecting the territory within which professionals work.

In Germany, the way we are obliged to treat our staff is very un-British.

You could say the obligations we have towards our staff are not business-friendly, but they are society-friendly, they are people-friendly. They’re the right thing to do.

On his legacy Of course, there’s a responsibility to think about how this thing carries on. The good thing is, God willing, 63 is not the end of your life or of your career. There’s a paradox, because I feel more engaged than ever, and I feel I can do more now than ever, but of course I’m getting older.

As an architect, the question of my legacy is an easy one. It’s the buildings.

CLADGLOBAL.COM 51

INTERVIEW: DAVID CHIPPERFIELD

It’s a project that has divided opinion in Sweden, with opposition from local campaigners worried about the impact it will have on Stockholm’s Blaisieholmen district. Even Sweden’s monarch, King Carl XVI Gustav, has expressed reservations about the project, telling the Dagens Nyheter newspaper last year, “[while] the purpose is laudable, the fact that the building has become so big, and has landed a bit in the wrong place, is a shame.”

When I ask Chipperfield about the controversy, he shakes his head in mild irritation.

“It’s not controversy, it’s dialogue,” he says. “I don’t think the criticisms were excessive. If you’re putting a big building in the middle of a city, I would expect people to present concerns. Why not?

It’s very healthy. It’s part of the planning process.

It’s just the media starts saying it’s a controversy and ringing you up and asking about it.”

Meanwhile, Chipperfield’s James Simon Galerie is taking shape in Berlin – the building topped out in 2016 and is due to be completed in 2018. It will serve as a new entrance for the five museums on Museum Island and will relieve the strain on the

DCA’s James Simon Galerie forms a key part of the Museum Island masterplan

52

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

IMAGE: © STIFTUNG PREUSSISCHER KULTURBESITZ / IMAGING ATELIER

Architecture has a responsibility to the passing person, not just to the people that visit or work in the buildings we create

One of the highest profile is the Nobel Center in Stockholm, which won full planning approval in February following a series of legal challenges.

The project – which Chipperfield describes as “extraordinary” – is situated on Stockholm’s waterfront, and will give the Nobel Prize a permanent home for the first time. The new building will house almost all of the foundation’s activities and will feature an auditorium for lectures and discussions, a restaurant and a bar.

“Nobel is an honourable institution,” says Chipperfield. “It’s quite a remarkable prize, to do with the betterment of society.

“By creating a headquarters for the organisation, we’ve had to think with the client about what Nobel could become; how it could do more of what it does – as a centre of dialogue and discussion as well as a celebration of individual achievement.

That discussion has been really fascinating.”

For the client, Chipperfield has designed a cuboid 25,000sq m building clad in bronze vertical fins, with the auditorium at the top of the building and a new public space beside it.

The Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin is due to be

historical buildings by assuming the central service functions for the whole complex.

“This is a really important project for us,” he says.

“It deals with a lot of problems that the museums have in terms of circulation and also in terms of programming, because it will add an auditorium, and temporary exhibition space. And I think it will enhance the urban conditions, when you go into the building or even if you just walk past it.

“Architecture has a responsibility to the passing person, not just to the people that visit or work in the buildings we create. Primarily we have a responsibility to the person that pays our bill, but we do not lose sight of the fact that we also have a responsibility to everybody else.”

Also in Berlin, Chipperfield is overseeing a major renovation of Mies van der Rohe’s iconic Neue Nationalgalerie, which will restore damaged parts of the original buildings and address several safety concerns.

“We’re not adding anything to the building,” says Chipperfield of the project. “It is not an extension or an enlargement – it’s a repair and improvement project. When you go into it at the end, it should look better than it ever did, but you shouldn’t know that anything happened to it.”

O t h e r ongoi ng pr o j ec t s i nc l ud e t h e redevelopment of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s South Wing (currently on hold while the museum organises finance for the

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

©ARCHIV NEUE NATIONALGALERIE SMB PHOTO: REINHARD FRIEDRICH

completed in 2019

project), the transformation of Eero Saarinen’s former US Embassy in London’s Grosvenor Square into a hotel, an overhaul of the Royal Academy of Arts building in London, the construction of the enormous Zhejiang Natural History Museum in China and a new headquarters for the innovative cosmetic company Amorepacific in Seoul.

Chipperfield tells me this is the most exciting period of his career, because of the quality of projects he’s working on, and because his reputation means he doesn’t have to worry about the future in the way he used to.

“For the first 10 years of your professional life, you’re basically fabricating something that’s not very real,” he says. “You feel like a child in a train driver’s uniform pretending to be a driver – you

don’t really have a train but you’ve got the costume.

“For the next 10 years you’re trying to keep this thing afloat, and then for the following 10 years you’re trying to do substantial works.

“Today we have incredible talent and wonderful collaborators. It’s not easy, but it’s easier in the sense that at least I don’t have to pretend to be an architect anymore. We have some credibility, which it is our responsibility to use.

“My fear now is not about survival, it’s about whether one can optimise the enormous privilege we now have professionally,” he says. “The worst thing we could do would be to not live up to that.

“These are good years,” concludes Chipperfield.

“We have some phenomenal opportunities. I feel more engaged than ever.” ●

CLADGLOBAL.COM 53

PHOTO: ©UTE ZSCHARNT FOR DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS

INTERVIEW: DAVID CHIPPERFIELD

INTERVIEW

JOSHUA PRINCE-RAMUS The founder of REX Architecture and onetime OMA partner talks to Kim Megson about rejecting ‘starchitecture’, embracing philosophy and designing an arts centre at Ground Zero

H Prince-Ramus was the founding partner of OMA New York, before rebranding the firm as REX in 2006

54 CLADGLOBAL.COM

as there ever been a more prolific and consistent architectural talent factory than Rem Koolhaas’ Office of Metropolitan Architecture? Over four decades, the studio has launched the careers of a whole generation of today’s most influential and skyline-shaping designers; among them Zaha Hadid, Jeanne Gang, Ole Scheeren, Bjarke Ingels, Winy Maas, Jacob van Rijs and Fernando Romero.

The American architect Joshua Prince-Ramus is another member of this illustrious club, who, like the others on the list, also decided to step out from Koolhaas’ formidable shadow and go it alone. Unlike them, though, he has kept a relatively low profile. The 30-strong practice he leads does not bear his name and he fiercely rejects the ‘starchitect’ label.

“Architecture is not created by individuals”, he once told a room of journalists. “The genius sketch is a myth.

Architecture is made by a team of committed people who work together, and in fact, success usually has more to do with dumb determination than with genius.”

Whatever its roots, Prince-Ramus has had no shortage of successes. Entrusted to establish OMA’s first New York branch at the start of the millennium, he led projects such as Seattle’s acclaimed Central Library and the Guggenheim-Hermitage Museum in Las Vegas. In 2006, he purchased Koolhaas’ stake in the office and renamed the company REX Architecture.

Over the last decade the burgeoning studio have completed a couple of elegant buildings, including the Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre in Dallas and the Vakko Fashion Center in Istanbul. Now they are preparing for construction to begin on their biggest project to date: a theatre for the World Trade Center campus in New York.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

Daylight will illuminate the interior of the Perelman Performing Arts Center through the marble faรงade

INTERVIEW: JOSHUA PRINCE-RAMUS

The World Trade Center campus

In 2002, the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation (LMDC) announced a competition for a masterplan to develop the 16 acres in Lower Manhattan destroyed by the terrorist attack of 9/11. Studio Libeskind’s design, ‘Memory Foundations,’ won the commission.

Libeskind decided it was fundamental to balance the memory of the tragedy with the need to foster a vibrant and working neighbourhood.

One World Trade Center

2 World Trade Center

3 World Trade Center

4 World Trade Center

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group

Richard Rogers

Maki and Associates

Completed 2013 The main building of the rebuilt complex is the tallest structure in the Western Hemisphere, and the sixth-tallest in the world.

Under construction The stacked office building will feature leisure amenities such as roof gardens, sports facilities and a public plaza.

Partnership

Completed 2013 The 978ft tall (298 m) office and retail tower is the third largest structure in the new complex.

Under construction The office and leisure-filled skyscraper will have a three-storey high lobby facing the memorial park.

7 World Trade Center Skidmore, Owings & Merrill Completed 2006 The 52storey tower was New York’s first LEED Gold Certified office building.

An art installation by Jeff Koons features in the plaza.

The Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center REX Architecture Pre-construction.

World Trade Center Transportation Hub Santiago Calatrava Completed 2016 Also known as the ‘Oculus’, the station provides pedestrian connections to mass transit lines in the city, and doubles as a light-filled public gathering space and retail zone.

Reflecting Absence Peter Walker and Michael Arad

9/11 Memorial Museum

Completed 2011 A memorial honouring victims of the September 11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing; it consists of a field of trees interrupted by the footprints of the Twin Towers as reflecting pools.

Davis Brody Bond and Snøhetta Completed 2014 The museum commemorates the September 11, 2001 attacks, which killed 2,977 victims, and the World Trade Center bombing of 1993, which killed six.

The cube-shaped Perelman Performing Arts Center will allow daylight in during the day and will glow at night

If there are many possible solutions, we choose the one that is most beautiful The Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center – named after the financier who is largely funding the project – has been conceived by developer Silverstein Properties as “a prime cultural and social destination to redefine Lower Manhattan.”

The centre will host performances of theatre, dance, music, opera and film across three auditoria when it opens in 2020.

The brief called for a building that “defies experiential expectations” by celebrating artistic endeavour and risk-taking.

Prince-Ramus admits it’s the most important building he’s worked on to date, both personally and professionally.

“I lived four blocks away from the World Trade Center on 9/11,” he tells me from his office in New York. “That day had a profound impact on all our lives, and certainly for anyone in the city who saw it. I lost everything. The windows of my apartment blew out, and everything was covered with three feet of soot that basically turned into concrete through the humidity and the rain. It was months before I could go back.

“I’ve since moved another four blocks further away, but my daughter’s elementary school is still very close,” Prince-Ramus continues. “So for me being a part of the rebuilding and reassertion of optimism in the city is an honour and a dream. I never would have thought I’d be given this opportunity.”

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

Designing from the inside out The interior will feature ‘ruggedly beautiful’ materials including steel walls, concrete trusses, wood floors and perforated plywood panels

Situated just north of the two enormous waterfalls and reflecting pool that form the 9/11 Memorial, and adjacent to Santiago Calatrava’s spiky white Transport Hub, the Perelman Performing Arts Center will appear like a monolithic “mystery box” – a structure designed by REX to be simultaneously simple, sculptural and symbolic in equal parts.

The cube-shaped building will be wrapped in translucent veined marble and laminated within insulated glass, allowing natural light to illuminate the interiors during the day, and transforming the building into a glowing lantern at night – the silhouettes of the human movement subtly reflecting the creative energy within. An angular slice cut out of the block will forms a suitably dramatic entrance to the lobby, restaurant and shape-shifting performance halls inside.

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INTERVIEW: JOSHUA PRINCE-RAMUS

I ask Prince-Ramus how his team arrived at the design concept for such a politically and emotionally sensitive project.

“The very first credo of the office is that we believe that architecture should do things, not just represent things,” he says, “so we started from the inside-out, and the mystery box form is a result of the complex interior organisation. We also felt that designing something simple and elegant was appropriate given the importance, sobriety and emotional component of the site; this was not a moment to be precarious. In that way the design evolved from a beautiful confluence of things.”

At REX, like OMA, the process of design is as much a philosophical pursuit as one that is grounded in the practicalities of bricks and mortar. Online they describe themselves as a think tank rather than an architecture practice, and speaking to Prince-Ramus, himself a former philosophy student at Yale, you get the impression that all the sketching and model making is complemented by long and searching debates.

“If you can’t argue an idea, you don’t yet own it,” he says at one point. “Until you can articulate it verbally, in writing or in a diagram, you don’t have it, you’re not in command of it and you don’t have rights to it. This is true in philosophy, in linguistics, in psychotherapy, in a lot of intellectual pursuits. We very much believe in creating arguments for our architectural projects.”

To achieve this, project architects are encouraged to cast away their weaker ideas, return to the stronger ones and tweak

58 CLADGLOBAL.COM

them and tweak them until finally the right answer is found.

“It’s a very Darwinian process,” he admits.

“The trick is we never rush into conventions and we like to suspend disbelief. If you allow yourself some critical naïveté, something that you’ve never seen before can come out of the investigation. Sometimes there are steps in the wrong direction; we’ll get fairly far down an evolutionary tree and realise that we need to go and climb back up the tree and take a different branch. In that way a project taking shape is not a linear development but a slow congealing of a narrative.”

Interior innovation

The flat floor configuration shown below could be suitable for immersive art shows and is one of many possible stage-audience configurations

The fruits of all this trial and error can be seen in the Perelman Center’s 8,400sq m (90,000sq ft) interior spaces, where Prince-Ramus says the real innovation is happening.

The three auditoria – individually seating 499, 250, and 99 people if left unaltered – and a rehearsal room can be merged together in 11 different arrangements. Within this, an almost limitless number of stage-audience configurations can be set up. The front- and back-of-house circulation is flexible too, allowing for the various mergings and creating diverse entry, intermission and exit visitor processions. The result is a venue that can host shows of almost any type, scale and size.

“We really want to expand upon what we’ve dubbed the ‘multi-processional’”, he explains, “meaning that the artistic

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

`The Perelman is organised in three levels: Public (bottom), Performer (middle), and Play (top)

The Play level is a highly flexible performance space that can be adapted for a wide range of shows

The thrill will be if you see artistic directors going crazy; doing things and conceiving of things that simply had never been done before

INTERVIEW: JOSHUA PRINCE-RAMUS

Prince-Ramus with a model of the Perelman, showing the exterior staircase which

If you accept a budget and limitations it forces clarity, which increases the potential for the project to be extraordinary

doubles as a seating area

director should have the ability to control not only the theatre dimension, the theatre proportion and the theatre stage audience configuration, but also the sequence by which people enter the building and go into the auditorium, the sequence by which they have an intermission and the sequence by which they meet after a show. They don’t just have control from when the lights start to go down. In fact, they could even script your experience from the moment you book your tickets.”

As I ask how this will work in practice, his voice rises in excitement as he answers.

“They could ask you to do something on the day of a show.

They could ask you to wear something. They could ask you to enter the site in a particular way. They could ask you to come by subway. Heaven knows what they could do. They’ll create an atmosphere of suspension of disbelief before you even enter the theatre.”

But the brief called for more than just extreme physical adaptability. Prince-Ramus believes the technology integrated into the building could one day make futuristic concepts – such as holographic actors or performances that are projected simultaneously on stages across the world – a reality.

“If we do our job correctly, as much as our hand will be present, the thrill will be if you see artistic directors going crazy; doing things and conceiving of things that simply had never been done before,” he says. “That’s what totally jazzes me up.”

Balancing budgets

American businessman and philanthropist Ron Perelman has donated US$75m to the Performing Arts Center’s estimated US$250m cost

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The challenges of designing and building a structure that can constantly transform itself are vast, and REX are working in close collaboration with British theatre consultancy Charcoalblue and executive architect Davis Brody Bond – who created the World Trade Center’s memorial museum – to ensure every single interior configuration has perfect sightlines and acoustics.

Then come the logistics of building one of the last components of Daniel Libeskind’s huge World Trade Center masterplan, in which the obligations from around the site can’t be ignored. Prince-Ramus summarises the obstacles thus: “We’re negotiating the perils of designing a super high performing arts facility on top of a subway station, a PATH station, a subterraneous loading roundabout that services all of the surrounding buildings and a huge vehicular spiral going down from our building.”

All things considered, few eyebrows would be raised if the project goes over budget. Prince-Ramus, though, is adamant that this won’t happen: “We’re not a firm that sees a budget as an obstacle to get around. It’s simply part of the reality of the project – like gravity. There are no excuses for being careless.

“The irony is that if you accept a budget and limitations, and take it on early, it forces clarity, which increases the potential for the project to be extraordinary.”

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

The Perelman Performing Arts Center sits next to Peter Walker and Michael Arad’s 9/11 Memorial

INTERVIEW: JOSHUA PRINCE-RAMUS

Prince-Ramus wanted to create a building that is both beautiful and technologically groundbreaking

His concern for financial sustainability won’t end when he hands over the keys. “You know, it’s become harder and harder to raise money for operational budgets, while it’s generally much easier now to raise money for capital budgets,” he says. “You don’t see corporate sponsorship and donors generally giving enormous amounts of money to the 2014 season of The Met. They want to give money for the redevelopment of The Met.” As a result, he argues, theatres don’t have the operational budgets to transform their performance spaces in imaginative ways. The staging you experience on your first visit will remain unchanged the next time you go. That’s something REX are trying to change. “If you can build flexibility into the building at the start, you guarantee a level of invention that is available to an artistic director. The challenge is to do it in a much more nuanced way than simply handing over an empty shell.”

Spurning starchitecture As the Perelman Performing Arts Center advances, Prince-Ramus can expect more time in the spotlight as REX’s most visible representative, meaning he’s in danger of being branded with the ‘starchitect’ label he rejects. How does he see himself, I ask, if not the stereotypical ‘lone genius’ the media likes to portray?

“My role in the office is often as a critic,” he replies. “Like everyone, when we’re having debates about the project I’m putting forward ideas, and it just so happens that I’m probably the most experienced in our methodology and therefore probably have a proclivity to argue my way more often than others. But frankly I don’t care where the ideas come from.

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At night the translucent, veined marble allows the building to ‘glow’, and shows the silhouettes of people moving and the theatrical configurations inside

“We had a problem once, years ago, on a project and we couldn’t solve it. We debated and debated and we still couldn’t work it out. Then, we came back in the morning and the model had been changed and it had solved the problem. I asked who did it, and no one knew. Eventually, the cleaners came to our office manager and apologised profusely because they’d knocked the model over and broken it. That just goes to show that a great idea can come from anywhere.”

This anecdote raises another philosophical question. If a design can be formed at the point where blind chance and intellectual rigour meet, surely an infinite number of potential solutions to any design challenge could emerge. So how can you know when you’ve arrived at the best answer?

Prince-Ramus’ answer is a simple one: “Beauty,” he says.

“We take that very seriously.”

It’s a belief that has informed all of his work, and he’s reminded of it every day by the EE Cummings quote tattooed on the underside of one arm: “Always the beautiful answer who asks a more beautiful question.”

“If there are many possible exceptional solutions to any given set of problems, we always choose the one that is most beautiful,” he says, “and we reject the idea that form and function are two things at odds. We just see that they are two things. They don’t need to work against each other.

“My hope is that when the Perelman Center opens, it’ll be a really extraordinary tool for the creation of new art. But it’ll also be very beautiful. With this building, we won’t have an alibi if it isn’t exceptional.” l

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

The world of REX Since Joshua Prince-Ramus launched REX Architecture in 2006, the studio have worked on several striking designs. Here is a snapshot of some of their past and future buildings Dee and Charles Wyly Theatre DALLAS REX enhanced their reputation for designing highly flexible buildings with this 575-seat 'multi-form' Texan theatre. A small crew are able to transform the space between proscenium, thrust, arena, traverse, studio, and flat floor configurations in a few hours, and the performance area can also be opened up to the urban surroundings.

Necklace Residence NEW YORK REX are designing this partially-camouflaged private residence complex for a client in

Seattle Central Library

New York, who asked

SEATTLE

for homes for himself

Prince-Ramus led this project to create a central hub for Seattle’s 28-branch library system. The acclaimed US$169 building, completed in 2004, creates a civic space for the circulation of knowledge. Various programmes are arranged across five platforms and four ‘in between’ planes, dictating the library’s distinctive faceted shape.

and his children’s future families. It includes five homes, a bar, a billiards area, a children’s play space, an event room, a gym, a home cinema, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a library, a spa, and a wine cellar.

2050 M Street WASHINGTON Currently in development, REX’s stylish, semi-transparent office building in Washington, DC’s Golden Triangle business district, will house the Washington Bureau and television studios of broadcasting company CBS

Vakko Fashion Center The studio completed this elegant building – the headquarters for a Turkish fashion house – in 2010. Facilities include showrooms, an auditorium, a museum, a dining hall and the television and radio studios of Vakko’s media sister-company

NEWS FEATURE Over 200 different workouts have been developed in partnership with a specialist designer

Hilton’s new Five Feet to Fitness space promises to take in-room wellness to a whole new level The company’s senior director of global wellness, Ryan Crabbe, believes the concept will boost the health and happiness of hotel guests around the world

H

We want to make wellness, mindfulness and fitness more accessible

ospitality giant Hilton

station, a meditation chair, blackout

has unveiled a new

shades for restorative sleep and

in-room concept,

products to ease muscle tension.

Five Feet to Fitness, which brings more

ft (9 sq m) – is located near a

than 11 different

room’s window and features

fitness equipment and

sports-performance flooring.

accessory accessory options into the hotel

“People need to run, move and

room and creates an upselling

sweat – and you can’t do that

option for hotel operators.

on carpet,” said Crabbe.

Ryan Crabbe, senior

At the heart of the concept is

director of global wellness

the Fitness Kiosk, a touch-screen

for Hilton says the room is a

display where guests can get

“personal wellbeing stage”.

equipment tutorials and follow

“We like to describe it as a guestroom dedicated to

64

guided workout routines.

“Travellers are committed to

movement and mindfulness,” he

fitness more than they’ve ever

told CLAD. CLAD “It really is the first

been, and they’re experimenting

of its kind – a hybrid room.”

with non-traditional exercise,” said

The Five Feet to Fitness room

Ryan Crabbe

A fitness space – around 100sq

Crabbe. “Five Feet to Fitness is

features an indoor bike from

a programme that’s designed to

British cycling firm Wattbike,

meet those evolving needs and

a Gym Rax functional training

to keep guests happy and healthy

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

WHAT’ S IN A HILTON

Medicine balls

FITNESS ROOM? TRX

Sand weights Wattbike

Foam rollers

Bosu ball

Meditation chair Exercise ball to replace desk chair

Hotel owners interested in the concept must commit to at least three of the rooms

The Fitness Kiosk is a before, during and after their stay.

touch-screen display

they’re at a hotel, but only around

What this means for us is we

where guests can get

20 per cent actually do.

have to broaden the hotel fitness

equipment tutorials

“We know no matter how

experience by making it easier to

successful people are at making

maintain – and start – healthy habits

healthy decisions at home,

while travelling. We now sense a

replicating those choices while

real opportunity for doing that.

travelling is often not as easy

“The room is very different from the way others in the hospitality

as it should be,” he explained.

“We’re creating choice for guests

industry have imagined in-room

and enabling them to control

fitness; often it’s been done by

their own fitness experience.”

putting in a piece of equipment

The concept, which has debuted

in the closet or rolling in a piece

at the Parc 55 Hotel San Francisco

of cardio, but we really wanted

and the Hilton McLean Tysons

to reimagine the space in its

Corner in Virginia, will be an

entirety and be empathetic with

upgrade to a standard room, with

customers who want to work out

customers paying US$45 extra.

but don’t make it to the gym.

Crabbe said the concept was inspired by a Cornell University study released last year, which

Hiltons in Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Las Vegas, New York and San Diego have already signed up.

The programme has launched in

found 46 per cent of travellers

the US, but Crabbe says there’s

say they want to work out while

“real potential for it to go global.” ●

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

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TOURISM

INTO THE WILD Inspired by Welsh legends, eight cabins have appeared across Wales as part of the Epic Retreats pop up hotel project

A

dragon’s eye, King Arthur’s cave and Wales’s mining industry – these are the inspirations behind three of the eight pop up cabins that have launched in Wales as part of the Epic Retreats hotel project.

Several architectural teams were chosen through a competitive tender to design the purpose-built glamping units, which are themed around, “the mythology, tradition and beauty of Wales.”

Launched to coincide with Wales’s ‘Year of Legends,’ Epic Retreats is designed to immerse visitors in the country’s heritage and natural beauty. The cabins opened in the foothills of Snowdonia in June, and relocated to the Llyn Peninsula after a month, where they will be available to book until September.

The project is a partnership between Best of Wales, Cambria Tours and George + Tomos Architects and is part funded by the Welsh Government’s Tourism Product Innovation Fund.

We take a look at the cabins, with descriptions by Epic Retreats.

PHOTOS: EPIC RETREATS

DR AGON’S EYE Created by Carwyn Lloyd Jones Tread carefully — there’s a dragon lurking in the landscape.

With its stainless steel scaly ‘skin’ and gridshell roof, the Dragon’s Eye pod has been designed to fire the imagination.

Guests can relax on the round rotating bed and enjoy the view of the Welsh landscape through the full height glass ‘eye.’ The cabin has a wood burner and is insulated against the unpredictable Welsh weather by sheep’s wool insulation.

It also features a walk-in wet room clad in reclaimed slate tiles.

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SL ATE CABIN Created by Trias Studio Mimicking the art of constructing cairns, whereby walkers collect stones and build place-markers along their route — a raw, unclad building will be gradually transformed through layers of slate, forming a textured, stylish exterior.

A neat structure of slate, the cabin has been designed to fit effortlessly into its surroundings.

In contrast to its grey slate exterior, inside guests will find a single, cosy room clad with honeyed wood. A kitchen and built-in table form a sitting space, while the bed sits on a raised platform providing a magnificent view of the surrounding scenery.

A table overlooking a framed view completes this quiet retreat, which is ideal for guests wanting to write, read or just relax.

ANIMATED FOREST Created by Francis Arnett Inspired by the Welsh poem, Cad Goddeu, or The Battle of the Trees, the Cabin in the Woods is designed to resemble a creature negotiating its way through the woodland.

The cosy hideaway envelops guests in a padded sleeping area extending to the wall and ceiling, while roof lights make the cabin bright and airy during the day and reveal views of the starry sky at night.

Whether guests choose to huddle up by the fire, or open the large entrance door to watch the world go by, this cabin is billed as the ultimate retreat.

TOURISM

MINER’S LEGEND Created by How About Studio Miner’s Legend is a tribute to the once-thriving mining industry, central to Wales’ rural communities.

At first glance, the cabin is a collage of mining structures and corrugated iron sheds seen scattered through the Welsh landscape.

Visitors are invited to enter the red cabin by crawling through an entrance tunnel. Once inside, angular corridors ‘play carefully with light and material to transport your imagination to the subterranean mines’.

Visitors continue their journey through a collection of cavernous spaces, before arriving in the full height main ‘chamber’. The upstairs bedroom offers panoramic views of the landscape, and the cabin features a woodburning stove and solar powered lights

BL ACK HAT Created by the Rural Office for Architecture Designed to reference the black hats worn by children in Wales on St David’s Day, the cabin features a black canvas wrapped around a cylindrical frame formed of wood.

LITTLE DR AGON Created by Barton Wilmore Architects Inspired by the iconic emblem of Wales, Barton Wilmore Architects’ Little Dragon cabin has been created using locally sourced sustainable materials.

The scaly shingle exterior and claw-like tripod base are evocative of the dragon that, according to legend, once dominated the country’s rugged landscape.

The cabin is a vertical structure and consists of two main elements: the main cylindrical timber framed pod and the steel legs structure which fix the pod firmly to the ground.

Inside, soft furnishings and a roaring log fire provide a homely experience, while the cylindrical design delivers panoramic views of the surrounding scenery.

The Little Dragon cabin sleeps two in a circular double bed, and has an en suite shower, basin and compost toilet.

SK YHUT Created by Waind Gohil + Potter Architects Skyhut provides a unique setting to experience Wales’ night sky. Named as the country with the highest percentage of ‘International Dark Sky’, Wales boasts exceptional views, especially at night.

The designers of this hut took inspiration from the myth of Welsh mountain, Cadair Idris, where legend states that travellers sleeping out at night awake as madmen or poets.

An electric actuator opens and closes the roof panels, turning the cabin into a ‘glamping-observatory’ and providing unobstructed views of the night sky.

The hut uses Welsh timber and is clad in black sinusoidal metal sheeting to acknowledge the role Wales played in the industrialisation of modern Britain.

ARTHUR’S CAVE Created by Miller Kendrick Architects Based on the legend of the cave slept in by King Arthur and his knights while travelling, Miller Kendrick Architects’ cabin is made from birch plywood ribs and sheathing panels, clad in black-stained, locally-sourced Welsh larch boards.

The cabin is heated via a small log burner, has hot and cold water, LED lighting powered via photovoltaics and a self composting WC. ●

GOCO RETREAT TEMESCAL VALLEY California, USA

GLEN IVY HOT SPRINGS California, USA

GOCO SPA AJMAN Ajman, U.A.E.

GOCO SPA KOH CHANG Koh Chang, Thailand

TM

GOCO SPA VENICE

WELLNESS MEETS WANDERLUST

Market Research & Feasibility • Concept Development • Design & Technical Services Pre-opening Services & Training • Management

Los Angeles | Berlin | Bangkok | Shanghai | www.gocohospitality.com

HOSPITALITY

BEAUTY SLEEP

When Patricia Urquiola was tasked with creating the first new hotel on Lake Como for years, she knew she had to get it right. She tells Magali Robathan how Il Sereno took shape

O

pened in August 2016 but with its official opening this season, Il Sereno Lago di Como is a contemporary hotel designed by Patricia Urquiola on the banks of Italy’s Lake Como.

Built on top of an old arched stone boathouse, the 30 room property is the first hotel to be built on the shores of Lake Como in Italy for decades, according to hospitality group Sereno Hotels.

Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola was involved with all aspects of the design at Il Sereno, including the architecture, interiors, furniture design, and the design of the staff uniform and private boats used to transport guests.

The hotel’s location is a popular beauty spot, drawing tourists with its dramatic vistas of the southern Italian Alps and idyllic small towns.

George Clooney, Madonna and Donatella Versace have all bought properties on the lake.

Il Sereno Lago is an all-suite hotel, with each of the 30 guest rooms coming with its own furnished terrace and lake views. It features a private beach, an infinity pool, vertical botanical gardens by French botanist Patrick Blanc and a restaurant run

by Michelin-starred chef Andrea Berton.

One of the focal points of the hotel is a dramatic stairwell designed by Urquiola. Made from natural materials, including walnut, the steps are encased in bronze and are designed to appear as if they are floating.

The use of wood is intended to complement the stone and marble walls found throughout the hotel, including in the Ristorante Berton – which uses the same local stone used in the façade of the hotel for the restaurant tables.

Other amenities include a 60ft lakefront freshwater infinity pool, a small beach with direct access to the lake, and gardens featuring hidden passageways leading to the nearby Villa Pliniana, where Sereno Hotels recently opened another property on Lake Como.

Urquiola collaborated with Patrick Blanc on Il Sereno Lago’s green spaces. Blanc has created three distinct pieces in one setting; two vertical gardens and one green sculpture.

The most striking, ‘Le Mirroir Vert du Lac’, features more than 2,000 plant types and was inspired by the colours and movement of the water. Covering the main façade, the garden is visible to visitors from across the lake.

ALL PHOTOS OF IL SERENO AND URQUIOLA UNLESS OTHERWISE LABELLED: PATRICIA PARINEJAD

The hotel features outdoor spaces and vertical gardens

by Patrick Blanc. Il Sereno has views across Lake Como

PHOTO: MARCO CRAIG

Patricia Urquiola was born in Spain and is now based in Milan. She is an architect, interiors and product designer

The hotel’s linear, boxy form was inspired by Giuseppe Terragni’s Casa del Fascio in Como

PATR I C I A U R Q U I O L A How and when did you get involved with Hotel Il Sereno?

I met the owner of Il Sereno, Luis Contreras, during a trip to the United States. He expressed a desire to open a hotel on Lake Como, and asked for my involvement.

The vision was to create a contemporary hotel in contrast with the classical designs found surrounding Lake Como. We envisioned designing every facet of the hotel, from the architecture to the interior design, which includes custom furniture, rugs, wall coverings, lamps, bathtubs and bathroom fixtures.

The Terragni building gave us the idea of modularity for the hotel; a way to design individual rooms that also interact as a whole.

I was inspired by the colour of the lake, its glistening water, and the nature of the dramatic mountains. The hotel utilises the water, sky, and mountains, and allows guests to interact with the environment as they wish.

Il Sereno has obtained Climate House Certification, thanks to the materials and lighting

Why did this project appeal to you?

Nothing had been built on Lake Como for many years, and I was attracted by the idea of creating something new there. I wanted to create a contemporary sanctuary with timeless elegance where people could live and be absorbed by the atmosphere. I wanted them to be cocooned by the landscape.

How did the location of the hotel and the history of the area influence the design?

The design was inspired by the rationalism of the nearby Casa del Fascio [a municipal building designed by rationalist architect Giuseppe Terragni].

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

What was the biggest challenge of the project?

We wanted to seamlessly integrate the modern comforts of a luxury hotel, while respecting the natural and historic surroundings of Lake Como. Research was conducted to ensure the building fully respects the environment. Il Sereno has obtained Climate House certification, thanks to the materials, energy saving system and the lighting chosen.

What are you proudest of with this project?

Il Sereno is a complete project. Everything from the architecture to the smallest detail was designed to create a true oasis of peace, a haven for relaxation and privacy. All of these elements have a very strong connection with the location; the importance of the prevailing character or atmosphere of the place.

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The hotel’s linear, boxy form was inspired by Giuseppe Terragni’s Casa del Fascio in Como

Everything from the architecture to the smallest detail was designed to create a true oasis of peace; a haven for relaxation and privacy

HOSPITALITY

Each of the 30 guest rooms has its own terrace with views of Lake Como.

Urquiola designed furniture, lamps, wall coverings and rugs for the bedrooms and public spaces (right and below)

HOSPITALITY

I want people to feel connected to the environment, and experience a peaceful refuge What's the most unusual feature of the hotel?

The fact that guests can interact with the environment as they please, through features such as adjustable wooden panels added to the façade allowing for the entrance or shielding of sunlight.

Another unique feature is the old darsena (boathouse) that’s been converted into the new spa. It was important for me to use some of the historic features.

Can you tell us about the staircase?

The hotel features a vast staircase that connects the ground floor to the lower level. It's made of a metal grid of tropicalised copper tubes with steps in walnut that give the idea of being suspended. Again the lake and the mountains remain visible from the inside, enabling guests to have constant contact with nature.

How do you want the hotel to make people feel?

I want people to feel completely absorbed by the atmosphere and to have all the things they need to live and feel embraced by the landscape. I want guests to feel connected with the environment, and to experience a peaceful refuge.

Urquiola created Il Sereno for owner Luis Contreras

Have you achieved what you set out to achieve with this project?

I think so, yes! I wanted to create a place where guests can see the lake at all times in the hotel, and I wanted the materials and colours chosen for the hotel to continue the environmental theme.

How would you sum up your philosophy when it comes to design?

My design philosophy is to enter into deep empathy with the companies I work with, to understand the users’ needs and to interpret these ideas.

The concept of empathy is very important to me.

Only if my ideas of how to develop a certain project – which could be a hotel, a sofa or any other object – are interesting for my client, do I know I am on the right track. The clients for whom I work know this and understand its value.

What inspires you?

I find inspiration in my everyday life, just walking around my neighbourhood in Milan.

I consider myself lucky because I travel very often both for work and for pleasure. My travels inspire me, and also allow me to meet interesting people who teach me many things.

The hotel’s central staircase features stacked steps that appear to float. It is made from walnut and bronze

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CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

An infi nity pool looks out across the lake, Italian Alps and small towns (this picture) and the hotel also has a private beach. Il Sereno was built on top of an old arched boathouse (below) which has been reinvented as a spa

HOSPITALITY

Also by Patricia Urquiola...

DAS STUE

BERLIN, GERMANY Das Stue is a boutique hotel that represents the shift towards modern grandeur in the new, old west in Berlin. We wanted to create a space where people can relax, socialise, entertain, and discuss; a ‘drawing room’ of sorts. My favorite parts of the hotel are the common rooms, because this is where the exchange of ideas and creativity are born ABOUT DAS STUE ● Originally designed by German architect Johann Emil Schaudt, the 1930s building that now houses Das Stue was formerly Berlin’s Royal Danish Embassy. ● Opened as a hotel in December 2012 following a renovation and the addition of a new wing by Potsdam practice Axthelm Architekten, Das Stue has 78 rooms, a spa, an indoor pool, two restaurants and a bar. ● Patricia Urquiola was responsible for the interiors, which feature dramatic public spaces including the grand lobby with its restored staircase and impressive artworks, and the classic, calming bar. The hotel sits next to Berlin’s zoo, and has a private entrance so that guests can visit the attraction directly from the hotel, as well as views across the animal enclosures and the Tiergarten beyond. ●

Das Stue’s courtyard garden (left). Artworks remind guests of their proximity to Berlin Zoo, including two gorillas made of chicken wire by artist Benedetta Mori (right)

The entrance features two staircases and a crocodile-head sculpture by Paris-based artist Quentin Garel. This open space contrasts with darker, more intimate areas in the reception (below)

NEWS FEATURE

Renzo Piano’s elevated Centro Botín art museum opens in Santander The gallery’s two volumes are clad with an intricate ceramic skin reflecting the shifting colours of the sky and the sea

IMAGE: BELEN DE BENITO

R

enzo Piano has completed his first Spanish building; a bold new art museum on the waterfront of Santander.

Designed in collaboration with Luis

Vidal Architects, Centro Botín is formed of two dramatic volumes that cantilever over the sea. A ceramic skin composed of 270,000 circular pieces reflects light

It will become one of the centres of reference for art in Europe Inigo Sáenz de Miera, Botín Foundation

and the changing colours of the sky and the water below. The west of the

landscape architect Fernando Caruncho

museum is dedicated to art and the east

– tripling the green areas so they reach all

to cultural and educational activities.

the way to the sea. Artist Cristina Iglesias

Together the 10,285sq m complex

has created a stone, steel and water

features two large exhibition halls, an

‘sculptural intervention’ here called From

auditorium for 300 people, training

the Underground – consisting of four wells

classrooms, workshop areas, a roof

and a pool filled with underwater flora.

terrace and a seafood tavern run by Michelin star chef Jesús Sánchez.

Centro Botín is run by the Botín Foundation, which promotes regional social

Two squares to the north and west of

development. Director general Inigo Sáenz

the building provide new areas of public

de Miera described the facility as “a unique

Centro Botín is the fi rst building Italian architect

realm, with the latter forming an outdoor

place for art, and an engine generating

Renzo Piano has designed in Spain

amphitheatre for cultural activities.

economic, social and cultural wealth.”

The site is located in Santander’s historic

Three big shows are scheduled this year,

Jardines de Pereda, which has been

including a first in Spain for artist Carsten

remodeled and expanded by Piano and

Höller and a Francisco Goya exhibition. ●

THIS IMAGE & LEFT: ENRICO CANO

Visitors can ascend the building via a network of exterior walkways and staircases

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Two squares to the north and west of the building provide new areas of public realm

The building extends out and over the waterfront, creating impressive views

IMAGES THIS PAGE: ENRICO CANO

across the sea

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INTERVIEW: YABU PUSHELBERG INTERVIEW

We won’t work with the Dorchester Group, we won’t work in Russia and we won’t work for any affiliation of the Trump organisation

PHOTO: SHAYAN ASGHARNIA

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INTERVIEW: YABU PUSHELBERG

GEORGE YA BU GLENN PUSHELBERG As their latest project prepares to open in New York, the Canadian designers speak to Magali Robathan about great hotels, Ian Schrager and putting principles before profits What’s the focus for Yabu Pushelberg right now?

GP: We’ve been in the process of re-imagining our company for the past two years.

We’ve been working for years as an interiors company. More recently, we’ve been building a product design team and understanding how to create products that are appropriate and exciting for the market, and for us. A year and a half ago, we started hiring fabric and textile designers to make our fabrics and carpets more interesting.

GY: Our discipline is broadening to industrial design, consumer design and to eventually receiving our architectural licence to practice. At the moment, we practice architecture in the closet.

Now we’ll be able to be more open about it. That will open an incredible number of doors.

GP: We’re in the fortunate position where there are many, many opportunities coming our way.

We’re very happy campers.

What are your thoughts on diversity (and the lack of it) in the architectural profession?

GP: We hire people based on their merit. The colour of your skin or your age or sex or who you sleep with doesn’t matter to us.

We have a very diverse workplace and celebrate that diversity; it makes us stronger, more creative and more interesting. In our studios we have at least 20 cultures represented, and the joint is run by a lot of smart women.

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Have you ever encountered homophobia or discrimination in your professional lives?

GY: We have a personal policy that we won’t work with organisations or individuals that express negative views about women or gay and lesbian people.

Today, that means we won’t work with the Dorchester Group because it’s owned by the Sultan of Brunei, and he denigrates women and gay and lesbian people. We won’t stay in the Dorchester Group hotels. We won’t work in Russia and we won’t work for any affiliation of the Trump organisation, because we don’t agree with their politics. We have no problem making that decision.

GP: We probably do attract a more diverse workforce than some other practices because our employees feel safe and comfortable here, and they know they don’t have to hide who they are.

The Moxy Times Square is opening soon in New York.

What was the most interesting aspect of this project?

GP: We embraced the whole project in a very holistic way. We designed the guest rooms and the public spaces, we were involved with the architecture, and we designed the sinks and all of the furniture in the rooms.

The Moxy Times Square was an interesting challenge because it has these micro hotel rooms of just 12 to 15 square metres. We wanted to do something clever and fun.

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INTERVIEW: YABU PUSHELBERG

Yabu Pushelberg were hired to take on the restoration of the London Edition building

LONDON EDITION PHOTOS: RICHARD POWERS

The pair embraced the challenge of the small rooms at the Moxy Times Square, taking their inspiration from the concept of ‘urban camping’

We’ve done a lot of luxury projects and you do get pigeon holed, but that’s not our raison d’etre. With this project, it’s not about being in an exalted, luxury space, it’s about being in a place that has energy, life and that embraces design in an interesting way. It was a very cleansing for us and a good challenge.

How did you approach the challenge of the small size of the rooms?

GY: Our theme for this project was urban camping. When you go camping, everything‘s got to be scaled down. It’s all got to be portable, but it’s got to work and it’s got to be fun. Our designs for the Moxy Times Square rooms were based on that notion.

GP: There’s an attention to detail, a little bit of wit in the rooms. The public spaces are big and fun; you can work there, play there, contemplate there, watch people and socialise.

We have an innate understanding that in any great hotel, the public spaces have to be social centres in order for the hotel to be vibrant. At the London Edition, which we designed with Ian Schrager, there’s a big communal table you can work at, there’s a pool table, a big bar, corners to hang out in. I think the Moxy will do the same thing, but maybe for a different crowd.

What is Ian Schrager like to work with?

GP: He’s a crazy bugger! No, he’s amazing – he’s mercurial; he’s constantly thinking and rethinking things.

For designers who lack flexibility that can be difficult, but he’s also caring and very clever. He strives for excellence on his own terms in all areas, and once you understand that you can work to create wonderful things with him.

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The duo worked with Ian Schrager on the London Edition and are now working on the Edition Times Square

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The London Edition’s Lobby Bar is the heart of the hotel, say Yabu and Pushelberg

PHOTO: SCOTT FRANCES

The duo chose neutral hues for the Four Seasons New York Downtown

INTERVIEW: YABU PUSHELBERG

He’s got a big personality, but he’s also self deprecating. He’ll make you work hard to make sure things are right; you’ve got to have respect for someone like that.

Tokyo. They wanted to create a contemporary Four Seasons hotel, and they weren’t sure what to do, because they’d always built what I describe as our grandmothers’ bedrooms.

They hired us, a young firm from Toronto, to create something different. We made a very beautiful, timeless Japanese hotel.

Four Seasons has a lot of rules and guidelines regarding the design of their hotels, to ensure they are of a similar consistent quality. The challenge lies in convincing them to move forwards.

On the back of that first project in Japan, we built a relationship with Four Seasons, and they’ve allowed us to break some of their rules along the way. The Four Seasons New York Downtown is the counterpoint to Four Seasons’ existing hotel in Midtown Manhattan, which is a big, grand hotel done in a modern way.

The Four Seasons Downtown is an intimate, asymmetrical, younger, more modern but tasteful and stylish hotel.

I’m proud that we are moving their style forwards with them, because they need to do that as a company.

What do you think he respects about you?

GY: I think he likes the fact that we challenge him. We can have a heated debate with him.

GP: When we did the London Edition he had this idea in his head that the public spaces should be very grand, and that the furniture and furnishings should be modern. Upstairs, in the guest rooms, he thought we should do the opposite, make the rooms modern and the furniture very ornate. George and I said, ‘We don’t think this is a good way to go, Ian, it’s going to look like the Sanderson, it doesn’t feel right.’

He got mad, and so we built the room, his way, much to our chagrin. Once it was done, he asked us what we thought.

We said, ‘Ian, we hate the room’.

Ian listened and said, ‘You know what? You’re right. Let’s start over.’ I admire him because he has strong opinions, but when he’s wrong he’ll admit it.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PARK HYATT

You designed the interiors for the recently opened Four Seasons Downtown New York. How was that experience?

We’ve had a wonderful relationship with Four Seasons for a long time. They first hired us in 2000 to create the interiors for the Four Seasons Tokyo, Marunouchi, a tiny hotel in downtown

The Cipher lighting collection features etched crystal joined by polished champagne-gold connections

You recently worked with Lasvit to create the Cipher lighting collection. What was the inspiration for that range?

GP: We previously worked with Lasvit on huge diamond-like chandeliers at the Four Seasons Kuwait,.

The inspiration for the collection came when we visited Lasvit in Prague. George held a piece of etched crystal up to a light and it emitted beautiful lines of light through the etchings. We said, gosh, this would make an incredible fixture, and the idea was born.

The Park Hyatt Bangkok (below). YP also designed the Park Hyatt New York

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Yabu Pushelberg’s New York studio (pictured left and below). The practice also has a studio in Toronto

George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg met at Ryerson

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University in Toronto

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PHOTO: SHAYAN ASGHARNIA

YABU PUSHELBERG

Multidisciplinary design firm Yabu Pushelberg was founded in 1980 by George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg. The practice has studios in Toronto and New York and is currently working on projects in more than 16 countries.

According to the designers, the firm’s multidisciplinary approach is “informed by an endless curiosity and driven by partnerships with thoughtful, creative like-minded people. Evolving to encompass all aspects of design, including many product collaborations, each new venture reflects an edited approach that is imaginative, thoughtful and honest – continuously shifting between the rational and the intuitive.”

Past projects include the London Edition with Ian Schrager, the Four Seasons Toronto and New York Downtown, the W Hotel Guangzhou, the Waldorf Astoria Beijing and Canada’s Olympic House at the Rio 2016 Olympics.

In 2013, George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg were appointed as Officers for the

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MIAMI BEACH EDITION PHOTOS: NIKOLAS KOENIG

The Miami Beach Edition (all pics this page) opened in late 2014

Our hotels tend to be newer, fresher and more enlivened, because we’re not just thinking about the aesthetics, we’re thinking about the bigger picture The idea behind the Lasvit Cipher collection is that it’s a series of etched crystal components that are joined by polished champagne gold connections that emit light. This means the pieces can grow to create horizontal fixtures, vertical fixtures, 3D chandeliers… It has endless possibilities. It can sit comfortably in a very classic environment or in a contemporary space, because of the quality and nature of the materials.

GY: This collection epitomises what our best work is all about – it has a simple elegance to it that’s thought through, that transcends styles and has longevity and real quality.

What are you working on at the moment?

GP: We’ve just finished working on the Park Hyatt Bangkok, which opened in May. That’s a beautiful hotel. Bangkok is full of noise and bright colours; the Park Hyatt Bangkok provides a contrast. It’s a calm hotel, with creamy colours and black accents, with a nod to being Thai in terms of styling.

Las Alcobas in Napa Valley has also just opened. It’s a 68 room boutique luxury inn where we conceptualised the buildings, we designed the interiors, the uniforms and the furniture, and we helped art direct the landscaping. It was a labour of love.

The hotel and restaurant are housed in an old Victorian home that’s been renovated and restored, and the spa rooms are located in beautiful outlying barn buildings.

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In July we’re opening a Four Seasons Hotel in Kuwait.

It’s luxurious in a modern way. It also has a notion of being appropriate for the place without being trite.

We’re opening the Viceroy Palm Jumeirah Dubai in October, and we are working on the Edition Times Square in New York with Ian Schrager, which should be opening in November.

Also in November, we’ll be opening the SLS Lux Miami Beach.

We’re thinking about the spirit of Havana with that hotel – there’s pattern, there’s colour, there’s vibrancy. Our buzzwords for that project are tropical Latin.

We’re also working on four or five wonderful projects in London, and are working on a retail project. We are re-imagining the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles; we’re designing the hotel interiors, public spaces, guest rooms, as well as a new condo-development adjacent to the existing hotel.

What makes a great hotel?

GP: We’re very interested in working with new brands, or old brands that need to be revitalised, so that we can rewrite the script. When we do, we’re thinking about more than just the next design idea for a hotel, we’re thinking about how people are living in hotels in ways that are different from before.

Thinking about how people use hotels differently from how they did in the past is the starting point, for us.

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INTERVIEW: YABU PUSHELBERG

It’s a beautiful, simple house that embraces the views of the ocean

Yabu and Pushelberg’s self-designed beach house in Amagansett, NY

Do you have a favourite hotel?

GY: The Tawara-ya in Kyoto is a favourite. It’s a beautiful 400-year-old family owned and run hotel. It’s a quiet little secret.

When you arrive, you’re a assigned a Mamasan – mother – to look after you. She makes your bed and gets your meal, prepares your room, draws your bath and ensures it’s the right temperature.

You have your own private Japanese garden. You really feel special.

GP: The other one would be the Il Convento di Santa Maria di Constantinopoli in Puglia, Italy. The late Lord Alistair McAlpine bought the convent for his wife Athena McAlpine, and they worked together to turn it into an inn.

It epitomises what innkeeping is all about. It’s an eight room hotel. You’re made to feel part of their home. Lord McAlpine was a collector; he has 14,000 books, 6,000 pieces of antique fabric, a big mask collection. It’s the most enchanting place.

We don’t eat the same way our parents did, for example.

We don’t want formal dining rooms in a hotel, we don’t want separate places to work in. We live very casually nowadays; we might want a little bite to eat in the lobby so we can people-watch and not feel lonely in our hotel room, we might want a boisterous bar, we might want to be in the restaurant where we can see and be seen, we might want to do some work there. There’s a lot of blending.

As we develop new concepts and ideas we try to explain our perspective as serial hotel travellers and observers of the way the world works from a sociological perspective.

Connecting these ideas are our strength, and that’s why our hotels tend to be newer, fresher and more enlivened, because we’re not just thinking about the aesthetics, we’re thinking about the bigger picture in terms of social change.

We believe that hotels should have a rhythm. Like a good book, they need to have a strong beginning, a strong ending and good chapters in between. We want to delight people at every point of the customer journey.

The pair chose to create a holiday home in Amagansett because of the views of the beach

Where’s your favourite place on earth?

GP: We built a beach house five years ago in Amagansett, in the east end of Long Island. It’s a beautiful, simple house that embraces the views of the ocean.

There’s something really special about being in this place, cooking, hosting your friends and looking out at the sand dunes and the sea. It’s our happiest place on earth. l

AMAGANSETT BEACH HOUSE PHOTOS: RICHARD POWERS

Do you have a dream future project?

GP: We’d love to do a museum or a gallery.

Some of the most challenging work is that which is seemingly the simplest, but which has the most difficult issues to solve. A museum or gallery has to have a voice, but it shouldn’t overtake the work that it’s showcasing.

That’s a line that’s often crossed out of the desire to sell the museum and create a bombastic building.

What’s your favourite restaurant?

GP: Yakumo Saryo, a private restaurant in Tokyo, Japan. It’s a very simple, monastic environment with the most incredible food. Totally unpretentious, but an amazing experience.

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INTERVIEW

As the new Garden Museum opens in London, garden designer Dan Pearson talks to Magali Robathan about his inspirations, the role of green space and his sadness at the fate of the Garden Bridge

DAN P E AR SO N

Pearson trained at the Royal Horticultural Society Gardens’ Wisley and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Dan Pearson designed the gardens at Amanyangyun in Shanghai. (Pictured) Dining terraces by the lake

The Garden Museum recently reopened in Lambeth, London. What do you think of Dow Jones Architects’ redevelopment?

The architects have done a remarkable job of turning a heavy building into a place that has life and light.

The new extension and the interventions inside the building

How did you choose what to plant in the museum?

We wanted to create a garden in which every plant had something noteworthy about it.

We’ve got horsetails, for instance, which are equisetums – prehistoric plants found in fossils – growing in there. We’ve got a fig called afghanistanica, with these wonderful, finely-cut

feel effortless and elegant. They’ve created spaces that draw

leaves – figs were some of the first things that the Crusaders

you from the inside to the outside in a very natural way.

brought back to the UK. We’ve got plants that are considered

It’s 100 per cent better as an experience now. It’s not just going to be a place for the garden community; it’s really become a proper destination.

You created a new garden for the museum.

What was your inspiration?

to be auspicious in China and that have their own story.

Everything has its own little message, that can be drawn out.

You’re working on Aman’s Amanyangyun resort in Shanghai, which involved relocating an ancient forest and dwellings. What’s your involvement?

The new extension surrounds a beautiful courtyard, with the

The story started with our client, Mr Ma [Shanghai

tomb of the great plant collector John Tradescant in the centre.

philanthropist Ma Dadong]. His village, which is 700 miles from

PHOTO: EMLI BENDIXEN

Tradescant really inspired the way that we put the plant

Shanghai, was being flooded by a dam, and with it forests of

collection together. It’s been designed to feel like a garden of

1,000-year-old camphor trees and 18th century merchants’

curiosities. It has a slightly exotic feel to it; a feeling of having

villas. Mr Ma managed to do a deal with the government to

travelled from somewhere else, because Tradescant went out

earmark a site in Shanghai and then dismantle these buildings

into the world and brought plants back that people would have

and transport them and the camphor trees to that site.

never seen or known about.

It was a wonderful project to be given.

Mr Ma teamed up with Aman Resorts; together they created this extraordinary 25-acre resort development with

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The new extension includes a garden classroom and surrounds a courtyard planted by Dan Pearson

THE GARDEN MUSEUM RENOVATION The Garden Museum reopened in May in Lambeth, London, following a ÂŁ7.5m, 18 month renovation by Dow Jones Architects

PHOTOS: DOW JONES ARCHITECTS

The Garden Museum is housed in a grade II listed former church next to Lambeth Palace. The renovation project saw the existing museum building redesigned, and the addition of a new extension providing 550sq m of facilities set around new landscaping.

Three new pavilions house a large and a small education room and a cafĂŠ, which open out onto a courtyard

garden with planting by Dan Pearson. The new buildings are clad in bronze tiles, inspired by the bark of the plane trees on the site.

Internally, additional collections galleries and a landscape archive have been added, along with a special gallery recreating the Cabinet of Curiosities belonging to royal plant-gatherer John Tradescant, who is buried in the churchyard.

INTERVIEW: DAN PEARSON

Amanyangyun’s Club Suite Living Pavilion (left) and pool deck (right) with plantings by Pearson

a park, which we also designed, and a lake separating the

whatever you ask for, and we obviously don’t want that.

development from the park, so the park becomes the backdrop

Also there’s a tremendous history of garden-making in China,

and the green lung of the project.

but much of that trade was wiped out during the Cultural

How did you approach the project?

Revolution, along with all of that skill and craftsmanship. China has become a land of industrialisation and not of growing.

I worked closely with the architects, Kerry Hill, who’ve done

We wanted to do something very specific and beautifully

an amazing job of creating the masterplan for the site. This

crafted, and keeping the standards high has been surprisingly

embeds the original merchants’ villas, and also a series of

difficult. We’ll have achieved it in the end, but we had to put a

new villas they’ve designed, into the space.

lot more effort into it than one might have thought.

We designed the streetscape, all of the public realm, and the individual gardens for all the villas, as well as the public park.

We started by visiting lots of Chinese gardens and Chinese

What are your thoughts on Sadiq Khan effectively pulling the plug on the Garden Bridge project?

heritage towns. We were very inspired by them in terms of

It’s a great source of sadness for us that the project has

materials and the way that the buildings co-exist, as well as by

become as political as it has.

the way people move through these ancient towns.

We also looked at what makes Chinese gardens different

We were commissioned to create a garden. One of the things I felt very excited about was the opportunity of making

from Western-style gardens. It’s helped us to create a language

a place that resonated in the very centre of London – a green

we can use that will make the site cohesive and give it its own

strand which connected two parts of the city and allowed

identity, while still ensuring it’s very much embedded in China.

people to decompress and be in touch with nature.

What was the most surprising thing to come out of your research?

Gardens are tremendously influential places; you don’t have to be interested in them to be positively affected by them. Somewhere along the line I think people forgot that the

China has an absolute wealth of some of the best plant

Garden Bridge was also a garden, and that had real impact on

material we grow here in Britain in our ornamental gardens.

the way that it became politicised. It’s sad.

The biggest surprise was that they tend to only use around 20 different plants in their gardens. And they don’t have a nursery

Did you understand the concerns about the project?

trade like we do here in Britain. So finding good plant material

We had to look at the concerns, and some of them were

was extremely difficult. I’ve had to find different ways of using

very real. But we had to remain positive because we felt the

the same plant, so it doesn’t feel like every other development.

project could have tremendous value, and that would go

What were the biggest challenges?

You can’t just say I want this or I want that, because their natural reaction is to just go into the forest and dig up

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beyond the things that were dragging it down. Long-term it could have been a remarkable addition to the city.

We remain positive about the big idea [behind the Garden Bridge], which is really a very interesting one.

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DPS have designed a series of 12 public gardens as part of the King’s Cross development in London

In our cities , park s are one of the few places that the rich and the poor are side by side, and ever ybody is equal

INTERVIEW: DAN CLAD PEARSON PEOPLE Dan Pearson was commissioned to do the planting for Heatherwick’s Garden Bridge

IMAGE: GARDEN BRIDGE TRUST

Are you still hoping it might go ahead one day?

We are. We haven’t been told it’s cancelled by the Trust.

Has the relationship between landscape designers and architects changed since you started your career?

Definitely. The architects approaching us now are wanting to have a proper synergy between the architecture and its context. When I first started out, there was less of an view landscape as secondary to the buildings.

I feel very positively about the climate having improved, and the fact that many architects are now seeing the space around their building as being of equal value to the building itself.

What is the role of green space in our cities?

We’re spoiled for green space in London. We’ve got these

PHOTO: SYOGO OIZUMI

understanding about that synergy. I think architects tended to

Greenery has a cleansing effect on the mind, says Pearson

huge parks, which are connected by all these arteries of treelined streets that go on and on until you reach the outskirts.

These big areas of decompression are incredibly important

will be able to fish and play board games and run in the grass

to cities. People are becoming much more aware of their value,

and do what they want. It’s such a good feeling to be working

and of the importance of preserving them and making the most

on those two different projects, side by side.

of them. But we’ve got a parallel thing happening, which is that funding is being cut for these public spaces on a constant basis.

Some of the best public spaces now, I think, are those being taken over by companies such as Argent, the property developer behind the King’s Cross development. They maintain control of all the green spaces in that development, even

What are your thoughts on the trend for incorporating green walls, trees and greenery into buildings?

It’s a really fascinating development.

My concern, though, is about whether these buildings

though it’s still public space. They’re setting the standard of

will be properly maintained. If they fail, it could undermine

excellence and are able to finance it. It’s an interesting model.

the whole idea. The green walls need to have maintenance

In our cities, parks are one of the few places that the rich and the poor are side by side, and everybody is equal Totally. That’s the interesting thing about the Amanyangyun

contracts very carefully built into them from day one. It’s just as important as a cleaning contract. If they’re built in, it’s fine, and if they’re not then you have an issue.

Overall, though, I’m very pro the unexpectedness of those

development. An extremely exclusive environment is being

spaces. Everybody is affected by greenery in a positive

created within the development, but our client is also creating

way. It’s calming, and it has a cleansing effect both on the

a 30-acre public park. It’s a huge open space where people

environment and on the mind.

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INTERVIEW: DAN PEARSON

It ’s a public space that ’s managed ver y beautifully and has a strong mes s age of sustainabilit y When did you decide you wanted to be a gardener?

Which of your projects are you proudest of?

When I was five or six. I discovered the alchemy of growing

I think probably the Tokachi Millennium Forest project, which is

things and something just clicked.

a 400 hectare site in Hokkaido, Japan.

I knew quite early on that I wanted to combine plants and

We were involved in the masterplan and we’ve created

to use them in spaces, rather than just garden them. I never

four big public spaces there, which are about giving everyday

studied landscape architecture – I have landscape architects

public access to extraordinary environments.

working in my office but my training is horticultural.

Although I’ve always been interested in space and

What would be your dream project?

composition, I wanted to learn about horticulture first, and

Probably another version of the Millennium Forest. It’s great to

I’ve found it to be a good way of doing things. Landscape

work on a large scale, with a client that’s committed to the idea

architects often have gaps in their knowledge because

of creating something that’s beautiful, sustainable and thought-

horticulture is such a vast topic, which is why landscape

provoking in terms of making a connection with the landscape.

architectural schemes are often very simple.

Here at Dan Pearson Studio we pride ourselves on having a deep level of understanding of horticulture, which means that we can work anywhere and in a more interesting way.

What do you have planned for the landscaping around Wright & Wright’s Lambeth Palace Library in London.

Wright and Wright have created this beautiful building, which

that things are planted and integrated.

will be built in the grounds of Lambeth Palace. It will sit on the

TOKACHI MILLENNIUM FOREST PHOTOS: KIICHI NORO

You can create different moods that are driven by the way

Dan Pearson worked with Japanese landscape designer Fumiaki Takano on Tokachi Millennium Forest

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CLAD PEOPLE

Tokachi Millennium Forest is being marketed as having a sustaiable vision of a thousand years

very edge of the property, emerging from the Palace gardens perimeter wall so that it impacts the garden as little as possible.

We’re making a woodland glade that surrounds a pond which laps up to the edge of the building. The building is hermetically sealed, in order to protect the collection it will house. People aren’t encouraged to go out into the garden, but they are encouraged to connect with the garden with their eyes, with the light sparkling off the water onto the ceiling and with the trees that are visible through the windows.

We’re using predominantly native British plants, which of course aren’t the first thing growing in the centre of London.

We’re providing an ecosystem and a habitat for wildlife and wild plants, right in the very heart of SE1.

What else are you working on?

At Chatsworth House [in Derbyshire] we’re renovating a part

series of public spaces which wrap all the way around the site to create a train of different gardens.

of the garden that’s been neglected. I think we were the first

There are garden on roofs and over a viaduct and along

designers to be asked to work there since Paxton, so it was

the canal... That’s been another great project for us, because

quite something to be asked there by the Duke and Duchess.

there’s been proper commitment from the client [property

Further north I’m working at Lowther Castle [in Cumbria], where we‘ve been implementing a landscape and gardens

developer Argent] to creating an excellent public space.

I’m an honorary garden advisor at Sissinghurst Castle [in

masterplan to create a new visitor attraction in the grounds of

Kent], working with head gardener Troy Scott-Smith as a

this historic property. This has involved garden restoration, the

sounding board for his plans to rejuvenate this iconic garden.

creation of new gardens, land and woodland management.

For the last six years Dan Pearson Studios have been working on about 12 projects at King’s Cross, London; a

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We’ve recently been appointed to create a landscape and gardens masterplan for the Dartington Hall estate in Devon.

It’s an exciting time for us. ●

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installation at Montreal’s Place des Festivals

PHOTOS THIS SPREAD: ULYSSE LEMERISE OSA IMAGES: MARTINE DOYON

The Loop ‘mechanical poetry’

Les Jardins Gamelin (above left) and Loop (right) at the Quartier des Spectacles

MONTREAL

GETTING

CR E ATI V E Montreal’s transformation isn’t about lavish budgets or iconic projects, says Christopher DeWolf. Instead architects are changing the face of the city with a series of truly creative projects

Events and installations include Daily Tous Les Jours’ 21 Balançoires (left)

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A

sea of people has gathered in the Place des Festivals, spilling around the corner onto Sainte-Catherine Street.

The crowd is especially huge when you consider they are here to see a puppet. This is no ordinary puppet, however; it’s a six-metre-tall girl named La Petite Géante, a creation by French theatre company Royal de Luxe. She has made the journey across the Atlantic to celebrate the 375th anniversary of Montreal, which is Canada’s second-largest city by population but arguably the country’s most important by cultural weight.

The Place des Festivals is a fitting place for La Petite Géante to begin her walk across Montreal. Completed in 2009 on the site of a former outdoor car park, the 6,141-square-metre public plaza is just one piece of the Quartier des Spectacles, a new cultural district in the heart of Montreal that is being infused with billions of dollars in public and private investment.

The Place des Festivals features a huge array of animated interactive fountains

A vast yet understated investment in cultural institutions and tourist infrastructure is taking place without lavish budgets, starchitects or internationa l fa nfa re

Pierre Fortin is executive director of the Quartier des Spectacles partnership team

PHOTO: MAXIME LEDUC

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“If you came here 15 years ago, it was pitiable,” says Pierre Fortin, general manager of the partnership that oversees the district. The area is centred around Place des Arts, a landmark performance complex that opened in 1963, and it has long been the venue for summertime festivals, including the Montreal International Jazz Festival, which draws 2.5 million visitors every year to its mix of free outdoor concerts and paid indoor programming.

“But after the festivals packed up, what you had left were parking lots and empty spaces,” says Fortin.

That began to change with the creation of the Quartier des Spectacles in 2003. “It is completing the neighbourhood,” says architect Michel Lapointe, whose firm worked on a new dance centre that is currently under construction.

Bit by bit, vacant spaces have been filled in with new cultural institutions – including the Maison Symphonique de Montréal, designed by Toronto-based Diamond and Schmitt Architects – apartment towers and public spaces.

As the 800-kilogramme Petite Géante awoke and made her way through the crowd, powered by an enormous tractor and two dozen people pulling on ropes, she walked along streets that had been made more pedestrian-friendly, past theatres and concert halls and community radio stations.

What’s happening in the Quartier des Spectacles is a microcosm of what’s going on throughout Montreal. A vast yet understated investment in cultural institutions and tourist infrastructure is taking place in this metropolitan area of four million people, but without the lavish budgets, starchitects or international fanfare seen

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PHOTO: ULYSSE LEMERISE OSA

CLAD PEOPLE

The open air bar/event space Jardins Gamelin features an illuminated suspended sculpture

URBAN REGENERATION

Provencher Roy’s 13 storey Îlot Balmoral building will house the National Film Board headquarters

elsewhere. “We’re not working with the same amount of money as our international colleagues,” says Claude Provencher, co-founder of Provencher Roy, one of Canada’s most lauded architectural practices. “And yet, despite all that, you can find some very nice, very elegant projects in Montreal.”

Work with what you’ve got First established as a walled French mission in 1642, Montreal grew wealthy from fur trading, later becoming Canada’s industrial and financial powerhouse. The city’s ambitions peaked in the decades after World War II, when it hosted the 1967 World’s Fair and the 1976 Olympics, leaving behind a wealth of Modernist architecture by luminaries such as Mies van der Rohe, I.M. Pei and Moshe Safdie. And though Montreal’s economic fortunes declined after the 1970s, the city still has what many consider to be Canada’s richest architectural heritage.

New architecture in Montreal must fit within a well established environment. “When we design a building it should be part of an ensemble – and it should contribute to the ensemble,” says Provencher. Part of his work has been undoing the damage of the past, such as at Place des Arts, which was imposed in typically Modernist fashion,

with a grand central plaza and blank walls on the periphery. In 2011, Provencher Roy redesigned the main street-level entrance to the complex by turning it into a kind of cultural living room, with exhibition space, a new lighting programme and a dramatic, angular entrance that projects out into the street. The firm is now working on a complete overhaul of Place des Art’s above-grade esplanade, which will be completed in 2018.

Previous renovations had given the esplanade a set of grand steps overlooking Ste-Catherine Street, which have become a popular gathering place, but they also left it cluttered with fountains, sculptures and terraced seating areas.

“We had to clean the space of many obstacles,” says Provencher. Fountains are being made nearly flush with the pavement so they can be used as standing areas for outdoor concerts. A poorly-used garden in the rear of the site is being rearranged to allow for more seating and more open areas that can be used for events.

Provencher is taking a similar approach to its design for the Îlot Balmoral, a 13-storey building next to the Place des Festivals that will serve as a film centre, with screening rooms and offices for Canada’s National Film Board, which produces avant-garde documentaries and animations. In

Îlot Balmoral’s exterior.

Claude Provencher (inset)

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The Mount Stephen Club will include an 11 storey hotel (left).

Lemay principal Éric Pelletier (above)

order to facilitate pedestrian access between a nearby metro station and the Place des Festivals, the structure will have what Provencher calls a “vertical fault line” dividing the building into two triangular blocks, allowing for a diagonal passageway through the site. “It’s totally open to its surroundings,” he says.

Mixing old and new In many other cases, working with the context means dealing with historic architecture – something that has become easier in recent years, as public taste has moved away from the historical pastiches of the postmodern era.

When local firm Lemay was tasked with designing a new 90-room hotel attached to the Mount Stephen Club, an imposing stone mansion built in 1880, the 60-year-old practice produced something unabashedly contemporary. “We didn’t want to engage in mimicry,” explains Lemay design principal Éric Pelletier. “But we still had to make a connection with the old building, so we took a graphic motif from its walls, blew it up to a very large scale so that it is entirely pixelated, and then applied that to the new façade.”

The result is a new tower with an unusual, almost pointillist appearance that serves as a point of contrast to the heavy Victorian presence of the old club. Because the new hotel is set well back from the historic building, it is visible only at certain angles, adding to the complementary

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effect. Pelletier says this approach would only have been possible “with difficulty” a couple of decades ago, when Montreal had rigorous rules for heritage conservation but not as much appetite for bold examples of adaptive reuse. “We’re creating a dialogue through opposition,” he says. “And that’s now the approach that is easiest to bring to the client, which is interesting.”

Provencher Roy is taking a similar approach with the Carré St-Laurent, a 24,000-square-metre development on St-Laurent Boulevard in the Quartier des Spectacles. When it is finished in 2019, it will include a new home for the Centre

We took a g raphic motif from its wa lls, blew it up to a ver y la rge sca le so that it is entirely pixelated, a nd applied that to the new façade

The Carré Saint-Laurent project is under construction

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The result is a voluminous new str uct ure that seems to conta in the Wilder like a fossil in a mber

The 12,700sq m Espace Danse complex is being built in and around Montreal’s old Wilder Building

d’Histoire de Montréal (a local history museum), government offices, a 150-room hotel and a food court stocked with 50 local independent vendors.

At first, the project was meant to include the façades of several 19th century greystone buildings that had been torn down, but it was revealed earlier this year that around 40 percent of the stone had disintegrated in storage. That turned out to be a blessing in disguise, says Provencher. “I don’t want to copy the past,” he says. Instead, a revised design calls for the remaining stone to be re-used in an abstract way that evokes the original buildings without replicating them exactly. “It’s a more archaeological way to treat the façade,” he says.

Not far away, the Wilder Building, a former factory complex built in 1918, will be incorporated into the Espace Danse, a 12,700-square-metre complex that will provide space for three major dance companies, including dance studios, a flexible performance space, a dance library and a café.

It proved a tricky brief for Ædifica and Lapointe Magne, the two architecture firms that joined hands for the project. The Wilder had relatively low ceilings and lots of structural columns, so they ended up using primarily it for offices and

The Michal and Renata Hornstein Pavilion for Peace opened last year

Atelier TAG founder Katsuhiro Yamazaki

dressing rooms, while three new volumes were built around it, one for each dance company.

The result is a voluminous new structure that seems to contain the Wilder like a fossil in amber.

While the historic building’s ornate façade was left exposed, its utilitarian rear end – visible from the Place des Festivals – is enclosed behind a new semi-transparent glass façade. By day, the old building is visible, but at night the glass wall can be used for projections. Elsewhere in the building, polycarbonate filters were installed in glass walls to allow diffuse natural light into dance studios. “It’s a way of playing with the surfaces, between matte and shiny,” says Michel Lapointe, the project’s lead designer. The complex is due to open later this year.

Just over a kilometre away, in the Golden Square Mile – an upscale neighbourhood that was once home to 70 percent of Canada’s wealth – the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has added two new pavilions to its existing three. The most recent, the Pavilion for Peace, opened in late 2016 with a design by boutique firm Atelier TAG. “Each pavilion has its own identity,” says TAG founder Katsuhiro Yamazaki. The museum’s first building is a 1912 Beaux-Arts building designed

by William Sutherland Maxwell; across the street is a post-modernist pavilion by Moshe Safdie that

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opened in 1990. Yamazaki says the older building reflected the notion of a museum as an elite institution, while Safdie’s work made an effort to bring the city into the museum. “We wanted to push the museum out into the city,” he says.

That approach led to a glass structure covered in aluminium louvres, with two volumes, one of which appears to rotate out into Bishop Street.

Inside, a sculptural white oak staircase contrasts with granite surfaces; both materials were sourced from the region around Montreal. The stairs lead up to several galleries, interspersed by airy lounges with sweeping views of the surrounding city. Yamazaki call it an “architectural promenade.”

Just around the corner, Provencher Roy’s Claire and Marc Bourgie Pavilion opened in 2011. It incorporates the former Erskine and American Church, a Richardsonian Romanesque structure built in 1866 that now serves as a concert hall.

Whereas TAG’s pavilion asserts its presence in the urban landscape, Provencher’s design is more reserved, with a minimalist form and an exterior clad in the same white marble used in the museum’s Maxwell- and Safdie-designed pavilions. “The difference is the way we cut the stone,” says Provencher. The new pavilion’s marble is much more dramatically striated.

The Montreal Museum of Fine Art’s Bourgie Pavilion of Quebec and Canadian Art by Provencher Roy

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Henri Cleinge transformed a former banking hall into a cafĂŠ and coworking space

Provencher Roy is overhauling Alexandra Pier. A new tower will act as a landmark

Doing more with less It’s not easy to be an architect in Montreal.

The province of Quebec is one of the poorest in Canada, with a per capita GDP nearly half that of the country’s most prosperous province, Alberta.

And yet when the Governor General’s architecture awards are handed out every other year, Quebecbased firms often win a disproportionate share.

“We’ve been obliged through the years to do more with less money,” says Claude Provencher.

It is particularly helpful that Quebec has significantly more architectural competitions than other Canadian provinces, the result of a provincial law that requires them for major public works. “There’s always a chance you can win,” says Katushiro Yamazaki. Born in Costa Rica to Japanese parents, he came to Montreal to study architecture at McGill University, and ended up staying because Quebec offers small

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We’ve been obliged through the yea rs to be more competitive, to do more w ith less money

Canadian design fi rm Lemay has won several awards for its Bibliothèque du

firms like his a chance to work on impressive civic projects. Atelier TAG has won Governor General’s Awards for a theatre and public library in two Montreal suburbs, and the studio is now working on another theatre in the town of St-Jérôme.

Bit by bit, small projects like these are creating new landmarks in Montreal. Lemay continues to win awards for its eco-friendly, wood-heavy Bibliothèque du Boisé Boisé. In 2011, Ædifica completed the 2-22, a Quartier des Spectacles cultural hub that features a wood façade overlaid with glass.

Along the historic waterfront of Old Montreal, Provencher Roy is working on a cruise ship terminal at Alexandra Pier, which will feature a distinctive tower inspired by nearby grain elevators. “We wanted something really strong that says, ‘You’re in Montreal,’” says Provencher. ●

Boisé project

PHOTO: STEPHANE BRUGGER

Even smaller projects are finding innovative ways to work with heritage. When architect Henri Cleinge was hired to design Crew Collective, a new café and coworking space inside the neoclassical banking hall of the former Royal Bank of Canada headquarters, he wanted to create something that could serve as a point of contrast while still drawing inspiration from the opulent hall.

Cleinge had to preserve the original bank teller stands, which created a natural division of space between the café and members-only coworking area. Then he asked himself, “How do you deal with this incredible, ornate shell?” The answer was brass-plated steel, which gives the space a contemporary sheen that doesn’t clash with the original architecture.

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PHOTO: MICHAEL POWERS

INTERVIEW

THOM MAYNE Both good design & really bad design can be interesting

Thom Mayne cofounded Morphosis in 1972. He won the Pritzker Prize in 2005

INTERVIEW: THOM MAYNE

Mayne unveiled his designs for the 381m-tall 7132 tower

IMAGE: MORPHOSIS ARCHITECTS

in Vals in 2015

The Pritzker-winning founder of Morphosis is known for his bold approach to architecture. He tells Kim Megson about compellingness, criticism and why he’s building a skyscraper hotel next to Switzerland’s most famous thermal spa

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T

he profession of architecture is so filled with grey personalities and corporate equivocators,” the late architect Lebbeus Woods once wrote, “that when an architect comes along who is uncompromising and determined to make the architecture he wants, he inspires both love and hate, not to mention resentment and envy.”

Woods was referring to his friend and colleague Thom Mayne, who had just been awarded the 2005 Pritzker Architecture Prize.

In an essay penned to celebrate the accolade, Woods argued that Mayne was a designer “who confronts the typical with the innovative, and the familiar with the strange.”

These attributes, he argued, along with Mayne’s desire to eschew traditional forms in favour of something more unconventional, had given his

friend the reputation of a rebel and a maverick – something reinforced by a “popular press drawn to anything racy and even slightly scandalous”.

Twelve years on, Mayne and his studio Morphosis are still producing distinctive work and generating hyperbolic headlines.

And no project has proved more controversial than his design, unveiled in 2015, to build Europe’s tallest skyscraper in a serene Swiss valley.

In hot water The picturesque village of Vals is famous for its thermal springs and Peter Zumthor’s iconic Therme Vals spa resort; the project which propelled him to international fame and transformed the small hamlet into an architectural mecca.

In 2012, sixteen years after the resort opened, the municipality sold the baths and hotel to local

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INTERVIEW: THOM MAYNE

PHOTOS: GLOBAL IMAGE CREATION

To build the tallest tower in Europe in a valley and in a village of a few hundred people is just so out there

each storey. What it lacks in width, it more than compensates for in height – finding space to house 107 rooms and suites, a restaurant and a sky bar. A publicly-accessible spa, café and restaurant will be housed in a podium beneath the tower.

Unveiling the building in 2015, Mayne described it as “a minimalist act that re-iterates the site and offers to the viewer a mirrored, refracted perspective of the landscape.”

This failed to appease critics, who – angered by its size and scale – predicted that the project was doomed to fail. Two years on, however, and progress, while slow, continues. Mayne remains defiant about the merits of the design, and the chances of it being built.

“It’s happening, slowly but surely,” he tells me over Skype from his office in Culver City, LA. “ When we won the competition, people thought the design was outrageous,” he concedes, as I ask him about the thinking behind the design. “They were saying, ‘You’re crazy! Why would you put a skyscraper here?’”

So, to ask the obvious question, why is he?

“Because the valley is startling and the scale is monstrous” – he emphasises the word. “That

The Peter Zumthor-designed Therme Vals spa resort opened in 1996

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PHOTO: MICHAEL POWERS

developer Remo Stoffel, who successfully bid for the site against Zumthor himself.

Stoffel quickly outlined ambitious plans to renovate the hotel, build new bars and restaurants and create a luxurious resort destination centered around the Therme spa development.

Called 7132, after the village’s postcode, the complex is conceived as a place where guests can “escape the mediocre mainstream”. Stoffel wants to build a spectacular gateway; a hotel to rival the very best in the world.

In 2012, Morphosis were invited to enter a design competition for the project, and they made the final shortlist alongside designers including Steven Holl and 6a Architects. With the jury unable to agree on a recommendation, the client awarded the project to Morphosis. The judges disassociated themselves from the decision, citing “significant question marks” over the design.

Rather than dream up a low-key, low-rise hotel in the style of the buildings Zumthor had designed before, as may have been expected, Mayne proposed a slender 381m-tall reflective skyscraper.

Indeed, the planned 7132 Tower is so narrow it will have between only one and four rooms on

Occaectus conse volup taque blatenis exceatur Thevitem guestodio rooms at 7132 ma as pero qui deri Tower hotel will providepubliam achucte re consceperi panoramic views of the surrounding mountains

Occaectus conse volup taque vitem odio blatenis exceatur Ama podium at the of the as pero qui base deri publiam hotel will link the building achucte re consceperi to a publicly accessible

spa, cafĂŠ and restaurant

The slender 381m-tall tower will have space for between one and four hotel rooms per storey IMAGES: MORPHOSIS ARCHITECTS

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INTERVIEW: THOM MAYNE

means this is not a skyscraper – it’s an abstract line of translucent material, and when you factor in the scale of the site, it’s minuscule.

“In a city, it’d be huge, but in this valley it’s just a small marker; like a distant Robert Irwin sculpture. That idea came about during the competition, and it was obvious that it was a unique, exciting and completely odd opportunity.

“You know, to build the tallest tower in Europe in a valley and in a village of a few hundred people is just so out there. It’s a lovely project.”

Despite the mixed reaction, Mayne insists he enjoys interacting with his critics and relishes the chance “to be in the thick of it”.

“I work off discourse and this stuff is actually extremely useful because it allows you to develop your own thinking, as well as to listen and respond to criticisms you might at some points agree with.

“It justifies the dynamism of architecture. If there is a very vibrant discourse it usually means you’re doing something interesting.”

An oculus at the centre brightens the drop-off area

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For Mayne, definitions of good and bad or beautiful and ugly are seldom straightforward. When I ask him, simplistically, to reflect on the importance of good design, he replies: “If I was going to be cynical about that question, I’d say both good design and really bad design can be interesting.

“There’s a certain kind of bad,” he elaborates, “that’s funky and hard to find. Somehow it’s just ‘off’ in an interesting way – and I love that.

“Something super idiosyncratic and hugely bad taste can be fabulous, and it actually becomes quite good design because it’s compelling and

speaks to you. I’m much more interested in something close to compellingness, regardless of personal taste or how it fits into the subjective and complex nature of beauty.

“It can be seemingly ugly or absolutely sublime – it doesn’t make a difference at that level, it has to do with something more complex.”

Whether the residents of Vals agree with Mayne’s assessment of beauty in relation to the 7132 Tower remains to be seen. They are due to vote on the project, which has been approved by the local canton, later in 2017.

The House of Architects Given the complexities of the project, it could be years before its final fate is resolved. In the meantime, Morphosis have completed a separate project at Vals – albeit on a radically different scale.

A new hotel, called House of Architects, is located next to Zumthor’s original hotel – which itself has been renovated and rebranded the 7132 Hotel.

PHOTO: GLOBAL IMAGE CREATION

Morphosis designed a new entrance for the 7132 Hotel.

There’s a certain kind of bad that’s funky and hard to find. Somehow it’s just off in an interesting way, and I love that

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Kuma’s interiors celebrate Japanese cabinet-making

PHOTOS: GLOBAL IMAGE CREATION

Tadao Ando created minimalist wooden rooms

Zumthor’s hotel room features dark plaster

Mayne’s room features oak from local forests

Q&A: Thom Mayne House of Architects hotel Did you work closely with the other architects?

We all know each other. I’ve known Kengo and Ando since I was a young architect, and we’ve been good friends for three decades. But Morphosis were the last to come along on this project, and the other’s work was already completed more or less. So it wasn’t collaborative in a literal sense, but we knew of our respective styles.

What was your approach to the design?

We wanted to make very direct reference to the materiality of the site.

And out of that came the decision to use stone and wood, and to really push it as far as possible. So for the stone rooms, the floors, walls and ceilings are all stone – which brings you into the space of the Therme. It’s a 21st century interpretation of an 11th century village and landscape.

What did you bring to the project?

Our work is definitely connected to an understanding of context and

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location. Beyond that, I translate my world into a visual world, and in a way there’s nothing I can tell you that can explain my thinking. If I could, I wouldn’t have to build it.

In this case, the experience of staying in the room is the summation of my thinking. It’ll be clear to anyone occupying the room and looking back at our work, that it demonstrates all the basic interests we’ve shown for the past 30 years.

What makes a welldesigned hotel room?

Memorability. I’m a person who lives in hotels and I have done for four decades. My first thought after checking in is always ‘will I remember this room at all?’ So many of them are so generic. They’re either designed in the worst way – by shaping things that make no sense and stylising things – or totally unmemorable.

Sometimes they’re not practical, which is very bad when you’re busy and just want things to work.

The House of Architects had to be functional; the pragmatic stuff is important. But the most important thing is memorability. When you’re coming to Vals it should be a place that stays with you.

How did you create a sense of memorability?

In lots of ways. The shower, for example. It’s a very particular piece of anthropomorphic design that has the characteristic of translucency and transparency. It wraps around the human body. We’ve left it as a marker in the room, whether used or empty. It’s an object of desire that animates the room.

With hotel design, is it rare to have the freedom to create something compelling?

Yes, really unusual. I guess [the conservatism of hotel clients] is a response to market forces. But from a user point of view, unless I’m completely odd, it seems like much more differentiation would

be a good thing. As a guest, you’d appreciate something you haven’t seen before. But the notion of being able to express something unique seems not to be the norm.

Do you have a mindset of guest or architect when you stay in the room?

As an architect, you suffer. You only see things that you would change.

That’s the nature of it; if it was a hobby I’d enjoy it, but it’s not. That’s typical of any creative act. You are always looking for an analysis that takes you to the next place.

I met the dancer Pina Bausch years ago, before she died. We saw one of her pieces in Paris and chatted afterwards. It had been an amazing performance, but all she was doing was saying, ‘oh I’d tweak this and I’d tweak that.’ I cracked up laughing because all creative types are the same.

But I’m comfortable with the rooms we’ve completed. It was a simple project and we had a lovely open client.

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Bedrooms feature illuminated showers made

by Cricursa from hot-bent glass. They’re ‘objects of desire, which animate the rooms’ says Mayne

The House of Architects was created by a star-studded lineup, including Kengo Kuma and three Pritzker winners: Tadao Ando, Mayne and Zumthor himself, who have all designed a room.

The approach is reminiscent of Madrid’s famous Hotel Silken Puerta América – for which Zaha Hadid, Jean Nouvel, John Pawson, Norman Foster and David Chipperfield all designed rooms.

Morphosis created two room concepts for 20 guest suites in the House of Architects. Half have been built using wood and half using stone.

Each measures 20 square metres. The other three architects came up with one concept, each of which is centred around a single natural material.

Ando’s minimalist wooden rooms pay homage to traditional Japanese tea houses; Kuma’s oak interiors celebrate Japanese cabinet-making; and Zumthor’s rooms are wrapped in plaster applied using a Renaissance-era Italian technique.

Morphosis focused on “scale, colour, tactility, unexpected form and connections to nature.” One material dominates each room – whether it be wood from nearby forests or quartzite hewn from the same location used by Zumthor for Therme Vals.

Every other element, from the lighting to the wash basins, has been custom designed and

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People haven’t slept in an entirely stone hotel room before. It harkens back to living in a much earlier century fabricated. The centrepiece of every room is a double-curved, hot-bent shower room designed

by Morphosis and fabricated by glassware manufacturer Cricursa in Barcelona.

“We tried to create memorability using the simplicity and strength of a single idea that had everything to do with the materials,” Mayne explains. “People have never slept in an entirely stone room before. It definitely harkens back to living in a much, much earlier century. The rooms are small and monastic and shift your perceptions.”

In addition to the rooms, Morphosis have also designed the hotel’s sweeping arrival canopy.

Mayne, who considered the House of Architects “a pilot project” informing his plans for the 7132

Tower, says he relished the opportunity to work at “a much more microscopic level” than he is able to with the studio’s larger projects.

“The interest for me is dealing with something so intimate and looking for the opportunities that happen with that intimacy. It takes you to a completely different place. So I was literally thinking about every little nut and screw and detail; from the bathroom sink to where the cups should go. That uses a completely different part of your brain and different design interests.

“I couldn’t always do it, because I love the conceptual aspect of our bigger projects, but I found the House of Architects to be a unique experience.”

Next in the pipeline for Mayne and Morphosis are three projects very different in form and typology: the futuristic Kolon Future Research Park in Seoul; the spacecraft-like Hanking Center Tower in Shenzhen; and a net zero academic building for Cornell Tech campus in New York.

Way back in 2005, Woods said of Mayne: “His questioning will continue, tougher than before, precisely because of what he has already achieved. It appears his quest for an elusive ideal of architecture is far from over.”

In the here and now, his pursuit continues. l

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PHOTO: MARK KNIGHT PHOTOGRAPHY

Other projects by Morphosis

Hanking Center Tower LOCATION: Shenzhen, China TYPE: Leisure and commercial CONSTRUCTION: 2014 - 2017

Perot Museum of Nature and Science LOCATION: Dallas, USA TYPE: Museum CONSTRUCTION: 2010 - 2012

Kolon Future Research Park LOCATION: Seoul, South Korea TYPE: Research centre CONSTRUCTION: 2015 – 2018

Bill & Melinda Gates Hall LOCATION: Ithaca, New York, USA TYPE: Academic CONSTRUCTION: 2012 - 2014

ALL PHOTOS THIS PAGE EXCLUDING PEROT: MORPHOSIS ARCHITECTS

Bloomberg Center LOCATION: Roosevelt Island, New York, USA TYPE: Academic and social CONSTRUCTION: 2015 - 2017

Emmerson College LOCATION: Los Angeles, USA TYPE: College campus condensed

into urban site on Sunset Boulevard CONSTRUCTION: 2011 - 2014

CULTURE

B E AU T I F U L M U S I C

It’s been a good year for concert halls in Germany, with a string of high profile venues opening or planned across the country. We take a look

Herzog & de Meuron’s shimmering Elbphilharmonie opened in Hamburg in January

PHOTO: THIES RAETZKE

PHOTO: MICHAEL ZAPF

I t ’s li ke a li t t l e ci t y.

Yo u f low i n to t h e b u il d i n g , a n d t h e o u t s id e wo rl d is pa r t of t h at jo u rn ey u n t il

Worth the wait

t h e ve r y la st m o m e n t

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

A sc a n M e r g e nt h a l e r

ARCHITECTS: HERZOG & DE MEURON acoustic excellence, 11,000 uniquely-

Meuron, finally opened in January – seven years late

textured sound-modulating gypsum

and 10 times over budget. So was it worth the wait?

panels, conceived with Japanese

It’s an undeniably striking building, consisting of a

acoustician Yasuhisa Toyota, have

hall formed of a shimmering glass-covered volume

been painstakingly assembled.

that sits on top of the original brick structure of an

“It’s a stunning experience to

industrial warehouse on the city’s harbourside.

be in this building,” Herzog

The structure is home to a Westin Hotel, two

& de Meuron partner Ascan

small music venues and a 37m (121.4ft) high public

Mergenthaler told CLAD.

plaza and observation deck, but the main draw

“It’s in this unique location

is a new world-class concert hall which seats

on the harbour. It fulfils

2,100 spectators across its interwoven tiers.

a promise to be a house

The 12,500-tonne venue, which is housed in

for everybody.”

the heart of the glass volume, rests on 362 giant spring assemblies to decouple it from the rest of

Left to right: Jacques

the building. It rises 50m (164 ft) and includes

Herzog, Pierre de Meuron,

a vast organ built into the walls. To ensure

Ascan Mergenthaler

120 CLADGLOBAL.COM

PHOTO: MAXIM SCHULZ

The Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, by Herzog & de

PHOTO VOLKER KREIDLER

CLAD PEOPLE

The maximum distance between the conductor and the farthest seat is around 14m

“ I t ’s pa r t of t h e

Small is beautiful

ci t y b ec a u se

Pierre Boulez Saal Berlin

t h e i n te rio r of

ARCHITECT: FRANK GEHRY

t h e ol d b u il d i n g on Herzog & de Meuron’s Hamburg

Pierre Boulez Saal concert

Elbphilharmonie. Both waived

hall was designed with the

their fees to work on the project.

acoustics very much in mind.

To ensure the best possible

The single-room facility,

sound quality, the floor slabs and

which opened in Berlin in

shear walls of the existing building

March, is housed within a

were removed, with only the

four-storey building designed

façade and roof maintained. Panels

by architect Richard Paulick

of Douglas fir line the walls and

in the 1950s to store sets for

ceiling and on the east and south

the Berlin State Opera.

sides four bays of three windows

musicians and concertgoers

Th e re’s so m et h i n g a b o u t t h at t h at a p p ea l s to m e” Fra n k G e h r y

the surrounding neighbourhood.

Flexibility and intimacy are

can be moved around without

central to the design, with

impacting the acoustic quality,

the audience surrounding

the venue will host performances

the musicians on all sides.

of different types – from jazz

Describing his design, Gehry

recitals to orchestral concerts

said: “It feels like a connection to

and shows held by the newly-

the city, which is right because this

formed Boulez Ensemble.

is not an exterior concert hall like

For the Pierre Boulez

a n d m e m o ries .

each connect the hall visually to

the Philharmonic or Disney Hall. It’s

Saal, Gehry re-teamed with

part of the city because the interior

his Disney collaborator

of the old building has history and

Yasuhisa Toyota, the Japanese

memories. There is something

acoustician who also worked

about that that appeals to me.”

PHOTO: PETER ADAMIK

Designed as a modular 360-degree space in which the

h a s h isto r y PHOTO: THOMAS ROSENTHAL

Frank Gehry’s intimate, oval

Flexibility and intimacy are central to Gehry’s design

CLADGLOBAL.COM 121

CULTURE

The building now houses a concert hall, central library and cabaret hall

New life Kulturpalast, Dresden ARCHITECTS: GMP ARCHITEKTEN A new concert hall sits at the heart of Dresden’s refurbished Kulturpalast, which opened to the public in April.

Fro m t h e b eg i n n i n g we we re fa sci n ate d by t h e ce n t ra l p os it io n of t h e Ku l t u rpa la st wi t h i n t h e ci t y co n tex t , a s well a s by t h e d i f fe re n t f u n c t io n s

Architecture studio von Gerkan, Marg and

t h at h a d to b e i n teg rate d

Partners (gmp) are behind the renovation of

i n to t h e exist i n g b u il d i n g

the Kulturpalast, a listed historic monument.

Ste p h a n S ch ü tz

The 1,800-capacity, multipurpose concert venue sits at the centre of the building, and has been re-developed in a way that

dating from 1969, while the spatial organisation

“aims for a respectful and charged dialogue

and circulation were redefined to provide

with the existing building fabric.”

direct access from three main façades.

The design follows the ‘vineyard’ model, with seating surrounding the stage and rising up in serried hexagonal rows.

The white waves of the hall’s walls slowly move from the regular

“From the very beginning, we were fascinated by the central position of the Kulturpalast within the city context as well as by the different functions which had to be integrated into the existing

geometry of the layout until they

building,” gmp partner Stephan Schütz

join up at the ceiling of the hall.

told CLAD. “The utmost challenge of

In addition to the new concert hall, the practice have also designed a new 5,463sq m central library and

this project was to preserve the building’s appearance within the city of Dresden.

“Conversely, we had

cabaret hall within the

to re-think the inner

building. Meanwhile, the

organisation and resolve

structure’s exterior has

the conflicts between

largely been restored

preservation and the new

to its original design

elements. Our idea was to create a gradual, successive

Stephan Schütz is one

transition between the

of the four founding

historical and contemporary

partners of gmp

parts of the building.”

122 CLADGLOBAL.COM

A concert organ dominates the space and will be used by the Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra

PHOTOS: CHRISTIAN GAHL

CULTURE CARMEN WURTH PHOTOS: UTE ZSCHARNT FOR DAVID CHIPPERFIELD ARCHITECTS

The building is embedded into the landscape

Buried treasure Carmen Würth Forum Künzelsau ARCHITECT: DAVID CHIPPERFIELD The first phase of David Chipperfield’s in south central Germany in mid July.

Chipperfield has designed an

outdoor events, such as open-air concerts.

The main entrance leads into the naturally lit foyer, from where the large event hall is accessed. While the lower level of the hall is sunk

event hall and chamber music hall for

into the earth, the upper gallery level, which

German wholesaler Würth Group.

is glazed on all sides, rises above the highest

The building is embedded in the landscape,

point of the terrain. The event hall provides

I t h i n k it ’s ve r y i n te rest i n g t h at a p rivate G e rm a n co m pa ny b u il d s a cu l t u ra l ce n t re fo r i t s

characterised by expansive meadows and

space for 3,500 people and can be used for a

fields, which it integrates as an architectural

range of events, including sporting events. The

st af f a n d fo r t h e lo c a li t y.

theme. Two retaining walls made of bush-

trussed steel construction of the ceiling spans

I c a n ’ t i m a g i n e t h at

hammered, in-situ concrete frame a forecourt

column-free over the entire length of the hall.

h a p p e n i n g i n B ri t a i n

in front of the main entrance to the building.

This square serves as a forum for diverse

The more intimate chamber music hall seats up to 580 people.

D avid Ch i p p e r f i e l d

A conference centre and a museum for the Würth art collection are to follow in a second construction stage

124 CLADGLOBAL.COM

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

PHOTO: BERND VON JUTRCZENKA/DPA/PA IMAGES

partially buried Carmen Würth Forum opens

IMAGES: FEDERICO CIAVARELLA & BUERO WAGNER

The new room will provide a fl exible meeting space

The design of the building was inspired by a golden casket

PHOTO: NIKO SCHMID-BURGK

Heart of gold Alte Oper, Frankfurt ARCHITECTS: BUERO WAGNER German architecture studio Buero Wagner have

Large revolving doors and a turntable

won a high-profile commission to renovate

system will allow multiple configurations of

Frankfurt’s historic concert hall and opera house.

the space; meeting a number of different

The Alte Oper – rebuilt four decades ago after

spatial, organistional and acoustic demands.

the original 1880s structure was destroyed during

“The atmospheric design proceeds from

Th e at m os p h e ric d es ig n p ro cee d s f ro m t h e d ia log u e wi t h t h e

the Second World War – is one of Germany’s

the dialogue with the existing architecture;

leading cultural venues; with 450,000 people

it’s valuable, warm and can be modified

exi st i n g a rch i tec t u re;

attending around 400 concerts a year.

and adapted for different target groups,”

i t ’s va l u a b l e, wa rm a n d

In order to create additional spaces for concertgoers to gather, plans are in place

said the studio in a statement.

“The design integrates itself to a high degree

to transform one of the building’s foyers

into the protected building structure by not

into a multipurpose meeting venue.

affecting border and transition zones. It also

Buero Wagner have won the design competition for the project with their vision for a “room within a room” – inspired

has design attitude – with the golden, simple

c a n b e m o d i fie d fo r d i f fe re nt t a r g et g ro u ps B u e ro Wa g n e r

building body located within a black interspace.”

A matrix of LED lights will be installed in

by a valuable golden ‘casket’ – slotted

the ceiling so that displays of graphics and

within the existing structural elements.

writing can be created for visitors. ●

CLADGLOBAL.COM 125

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CLADkit PRODUCTS

CLAD kit

Snøhetta’s ‘social cabin’, new designs from Kengo Kuma and Yabu Pushelberg, and the latest advances in 3D printing... what’s new in product design

●

For full company and contact details of any of the products and services featured here, please visit www.CLAD-kit.net

MIT’s Mediated Matter Group has unveiled a 3D printing robot capable of printing an entire building

Researchers from the Massachusetts

The Digital Construction Platform

Institute of Technology (MIT) have

(DCP), consists of a tracked vehicle

announced a new breakthrough

that carries an industrial robotic arm,

in the architectural applications of

with a smaller, precision-motion

3D printing, with the design of a

robotic arm attached, and can be

system that can produce the basic

used to direct construction nozzles.

structure of an entire building.

MIT’s Mediated Matter Group claim that the machine they have invented will eventually produce buildings faster

Unlike typical 3D printing systems, this free-moving system can construct an object of any size.

To prove the concept, the researchers

than traditional construction methods.

used a prototype to build the basic

What’s more, a structure could be

structure of a 50ft (15.2m) diameter,

customised to the needs of a particular

12ft (3.6m) high dome in 14 hours.

site, with different materials and densities incorporated to provide optimum combinations of strength and insulation.

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLAD-KIT KEYWORD

MIT

It’s not merely a printer, but an entirely new way of thinking about making. Our system points to a future vision of digital construction that enables new possibilities on our planet and beyond.

Neri Oxman, group director and associate professor at MIT

PHOTO: NOAH KALINA

MIT researchers create 3D printer capable of printing buildings

Snøhetta go back to basics with wooden ‘social cabin’ designed for any landscape Drawing inspiration from the traditional gapahuk, the cabin is shaped with the aim of adapting to the many varying weather conditions Snøhetta spokesperson

Fresh off the back of revamping New York’s Times Square and designing a major museum celebrating Europe’s oldest cave paintings, architecture studio Snøhetta have completed something rather more intimate: a new

PHOTOS: SNØHETTA

CLADkit PRODUCTS

●● Snøhetta’s focus was on making the cabin adaptable to different terrains

range of ready-made mobile cabins.

Called Gapahuk, the simple structure is designed to fit into nearly any landscape.

The product has been designed for Rindalshytter, Norway’s leading producer of leisure homes and mobile destinations.

Snøhetta’s focus was on making

the cabin’s common areas

possible to have a cabin off the grid.”

‘Gapahuk’ is a Norwegian word for a simple wooden structure, often made to create shelter from rough weather conditions. Snøhetta’s version includes

terrains and environments.

façades, interior walls, flooring and

said: “Drawing inspiration from the

The layout gives priority to

placing solar panels on them, making it

the cabin adaptable to different In a statement, the architects

●●

can be used for energy production by

structural elements all made of wood.

Designed as a ‘social cabin’, the layout

traditional gapahuk, the cabin is

gives priority to the common areas –

shaped with the aim of adapting to the

including a spacious indoor living room

many varying weather conditions.

and kitchen, and a sizable outdoor patio.

●●

Snøhetta’s Kjetil

Trædal Thorsen

“The twisting roof creates a two-way gapahuk which gives protection from wind and sun. The angled roof surfaces

CLAD-KIT KEYWORD

Snohetta

Marcel Wanders collaborates with Christofle for opulent lighting range The Jardin

Christofle has extended its

●●

celebrated Jardin d’Eden range with

d‘Eden collection

a luxurious lighting collection by

includes a table

Dutch designer Marcel Wanders.

candelabra (pictured below)

Described as the marriage of beauty and function, the collection features a ceiling chandelier, OV AC C A

standing candelabra lamp, a table candelabra and a votive tea light.

O

:T

IN

Handcrafted in high-silversmithing workshops by Meilleurs Ouvriers de

PH

France (some of the best craftsmen in France) both the chandelier and the candelabra feature flowing, arabesque ‘branches’, punctuated with handcarved blown crystal lampshades in either clear or smoked glass.

O

T

While each collection is unique, the products have been conceived for designers to use in a wide range of settings Marcel Wanders

The table lamp and votive are made from intricately engraved steel. They feature the ornate pattern, also designed

by Wanders, of twisting vines, plants and ●●

The collection has been described

as the meeting of form and function

128 CLADGLOBAL.COM

flowers that has come to characterise the Jardin d’Eden collection.

CLAD-KIT KEYWORD

Christofle

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

Seloy Live creates touchscreen window Interactive glass manufacturer Seloy Live has partnered with Kalevala Innovation Lab to create the world’s first ever see-through, touchscreen store front at Kalevala Jewelry’s flagship store in Helsinki.

To create the display, Seloy Live worked with Helsinki-based digital agency Great Apes, who developed an app that allows shoppers to create stunning 3D snowflakes, which can be shared via social media.

There’s nothing like our unique range of embeddedtouch interactive window products on the market Henri Kiuru, CEO Seloy Live

The display was made with Seloy Live’s SENSE, a patent-pending ‘supercharged’ glass with integrated state-of-the-art touch screen technology.

●●

Shoppers can create snowflakes on the touchscreen window

Integrating the technology into the glass protects it from adverse CLAD-KIT KEYWORD

weather conditions and vandalism, and extends the life of the product.

Seloy Live

Lee Broom commemorates decade of design with Time Machine collection British designer Lee Broom celebrated his tenth anniversary with the launch of his latest collection.

The limited edition collection, entitled Time Machine, honours Broom’s 10 year career and features a range of design highlights from his previous collections, reimagined in new finishes and materials with an all white palette.

The colour scheme was selected to create a cohesive uniformity across the collection, and give the pieces a clean, modern aesthetic.

The collection includes the awardwinning Crystal Bulb, the Bright on Bistro chair, the Carpentry Console and the Drunken Side Table.

Broom also unveiled a monolithic Carrara marble, the clock has solid brass hardware and features a traditional PHOTO: ARTHUR WOODCROFT

clock mechanism and pendulum.

The collection debuted at Milan Design Week and was showcased on a custom made carousel, set inside a disused vault in the Milano Centrale station.

CLAD-KIT KEYWORD

PHOTOS: BETH DAVIS

grandfather clock. Handcrafted from

●●

The Altar Chair (top) and

Ring Lights (directly above) are part of the new collection

Lee Broom

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

CLADGLOBAL.COM 129

CLADkit PRODUCTS

● David Morley Architects were commissioned to create the facility

Dramatic wooden roof dominates exclusive Hurlingham Club racquet centre One of London’s most exclusive sports and social clubs has opened a new racquet hall, featuring a dramatic curving green sedum roof.

The Hurlingham Club in Fulham commissioned David Morley Architects to create the sporting facility for its guests – who in the past have included men’s tennis world number one Andy Murray.

The roof measures 35m (114.8ft) long and 55m (180.4ft) wide and is made from curved steel beams and

The roof was largely built off-site, which meant those involved had to work very closely without any issues on site Frank Werling, Metsä Wood

Kerto Laminated Veneer Lumber (LVL) panels provided by Metsä Wood.

The design team selected LVL panels, – made by gluing together rotary peeled softwood veneers – as they are very thin, but strong and would be able to support CLAD-KIT KEYWORD

the landscaped top layer of the roof, without adding any bulk to the structure.

Metsä Wood

We were interested in the architect’s perception of light as object in space and the materialisation of light Maxim Velcovsky, Creative director, Lasvit

Kengo Kuma and Yabu Pushelberg among stars to launch Lasvit light collections

The Yakisugi collection

by Kengo Kuma

Czech glassmaker Lasvit

Yabu Pushelberg on p84 for

has celebrated its tenth

details of this collaboration).

anniversary by introducing

in part by a 17th century image

created in collaboration with

projector that used hand-

some of the world's foremost

painted sheets of glass, a lens

Flux

architects and designers.

and a bright light-source to

Terence Ngan

Design, Ed Ng & Terence

is researching ways in which

Ngan and Yabu Pushelberg

to simulate the principle using

are among those who have

video mapping technology. ●

Kengo Kuma, Zaha Hadid

project images in space. Lasvit

designed lighting products for Lasvit’s Laterna Magica range (see interview with

130 CLADGLOBAL.COM

by Zaha Hadid Design

The products were inspired

new lighting collections

by Ed Ng &

Eve and Duna

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Cipher

by Yabu Pushelberg

Lasvit

CLAD mag 2017 ISSUE 3

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